Pittsburgh Penguins vs Buffalo Sabres Betting Pick & Prediction 1/17/25
Looking to win big? The Penguins and Sabres face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Sabres are hosting the game at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. The over/under for this Eastern conference contest is set at 6.5 goals, with the Sabres being favored by -1.5 goals at home against the Penguins.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS VS BUFFALO SABRES BETTING PICK
The Pick: Buffalo Sabres -1.5
This game will be played at KeyBank Center at 7:00 ET on Friday, January 17th.
WHY BET THE BUFFALO SABRES:
- The Sabres enter this game as 1.5-goal favorites and in our projections and we anticipate them winning by a score of 4-3.
- Take the Sabres on the moneyline
- On the spread, we like Penguins (+1.5)
Can Pittsburgh Stun the Crowd at KeyBank Center?
The Penguins moved closer to .500 with a 3-1 road win over the Canadiens, improving to 18-20-8. Pittsburgh, favored by -1.5 goals, covered the puck line, with the total of 4 goals falling short of the 6.5 set before the game.
Sidney Crosby led the way with two goals, and Blake Lizotte added an empty-netter to seal the victory. The Penguins’ defense held Montreal scoreless until the third period.
Sidney Crosby netted two goals for the Penguins, bringing his season total to 5. He opened the scoring at 4:03 in the first period and added another on a power play at 1:20 in the second. Blake Lizotte sealed the game with an empty-netter, his 2nd goal of the season, at 19:15 in the third period.
The Penguins fired 24 shots on goal and recorded 14 giveaways. Lars Eller picked up his 3rd assist on Lizotte’s empty-net goal, while Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson were credited with assists on Crosby’s power-play goal, giving them 3 and 7 assists this season, respectively.
Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 25 shots with a 96.2% save percentage, helping the Penguins to a 3-1 win over the Canadiens. Pittsburgh’s defense also recorded 5 takeaways and 19 hits. The only goal they allowed came at 5:32 of the 3rd period.
Will the Sabres Pull Through as the Favored Home Team?
Buffalo fell to 17-22-5 with a 2-1 road loss to the Red Wings. The Sabres were underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 3 goals fell well short of the 6.5 set before the game.
Buffalo took the lead with a short-handed goal from Alex Tuch in the first period, but the Red Wings responded with two power-play goals in the second. The Sabres’ offense couldn’t add to their early lead, despite putting 32 shots on goal.
Buffalo’s offense managed just one goal in their 2-1 loss to the Red Wings. Alex Tuch, with his 5th goal of the season, found the net on a shorthanded effort at 8:21 in the first period. The Sabres took 32 shots on goal but were unable to score again.
Buffalo had 13 giveaways and recorded no assists. They were shut out in both the second and third periods after Tuch’s early goal.
Buffalo’s defense struggled in the second period, giving up two goals to Detroit, both on the power play. However, they tightened up in the third, not allowing any goals. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the defense added 5 takeaways and 17 hits.