Buffalo Sabres vs Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Pick & Prediction for 3/5

bangthebook nhl game preview

The Buffalo Sabres travel to PPG Paints Arena to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. This NHL regular season game is set for Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 7:00 PM, and will be broadcast on ESPN. The Sabres come into this game with a record of 36-19-6, while the Penguins hold a 31-16-13 record.

Buffalo ranks third in the Eastern Conference, with a strong division record of 13-7. They are led by head coach Lindy Ruff. On the other side, Pittsburgh is fifth in their conference and has a division record of 11-7. The Penguins, coached by Dan Muse, will look to leverage their home advantage at PPG Paints Arena.

Sabres vs Penguins Game Day Info

  • Sport: NHL
  • Teams: Buffalo Sabres vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
  • Venue: PPG Paints Arena
  • Date: Thursday, March 5, 2026
  • Betting Odds: Buffalo Sabres MoneyLine -112, Pittsburgh Penguins MoneyLine -107

Buffalo Sabres Team Preview

The Buffalo Sabres have shown strong performance in recent games. They won their last game against the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2, with 28 shots on goal. Alex Lyon made 27 saves, allowing only two goals.

In their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Sabres won 6-2. They had 35 shots on goal and scored one power play goal. Rasmus Dahlin had a standout performance with one goal and two assists.

Tage Thompson is a key player for the Sabres this season. He has scored 33 goals and provided 31 assists in 61 games. His contributions have been vital to the team’s success in their recent games.

Pittsburgh Penguins Team Preview

The Pittsburgh Penguins have shown mixed results in their recent games. They secured a 5-0 win against the Vegas Golden Knights on March 1. However, they lost narrowly to the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers in their away games.

Key players for the Penguins include Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Crosby has played 56 games, scoring 27 goals with 32 assists. Malkin has contributed 13 goals and 34 assists in 45 games, making him a vital part of the team’s offense.

In goal, Stuart Skinner has been the main choice for the Penguins. He has played 38 games, achieving 19 wins and making 832 saves. Skinner’s performance will be crucial in their upcoming home game.

BTB Betting Pick

The Buffalo Sabres are slightly favored against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a moneyline of -112. The Penguins are at -107. Both teams have strong offensive stats, but the Sabres have a slight edge in goals and assists. The projected score is Sabres 4, Penguins 3. With this in mind, picking the Sabres to win straight up seems reasonable.

The total for this game is set at 6.5 goals, with the over at -105 and the under at -116. Both teams have shown they can score and have allowed a fair number of goals this season. The projected total score is 7 goals, suggesting the over is a good choice for this game.