Toronto Maple Leafs vs Buffalo Sabres Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/23
Planning on watching today’s Maple Leafs and Sabres game? Catch the action at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY, as the Sabres hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on MSG-. The Maple Leafs are the favorites in this Atlantic division matchup against Sabres. The over/under for the game is set at 7 goals.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS VS BUFFALO SABRES BETTING PICK
The Pick: Buffalo Sabres +1.5
This game will be played at KeyBank Center at 7:00 ET on Thursday, December 21st.
WHY BET THE BUFFALO SABRES:
- Even though they are 1.5 goal underdogs, we see the Sabres winning this game by a score of 4-3.
- We like the Sabres on the moneyline (+130)
- The Sabres are also our pick on the spread at +1.5
Can Toronto Stun the Crowd at KeyBank Center?
So far this season, the Maple Leafs have an overall record of 16-7-6. On the road, Toronto is 7-2-4 and 9-5-2 at home. Their current record places them 2nd in the Eastern Atlantic division and 5th in the Eastern conference.
In terms of the puck line, Toronto are 8-21. When playing on the road against the puck line, they are 3-10, while their overall home performance is 5-11. For the season, the average number of goals per game in matchups featuring Toronto is 7. The season’s average over/under line is currently at 6.5. The Maple Leafs come in with an over/under record of 17-11-1.
In their last three games away from home, the Maple Leafs have a straight up record of 2-1 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 4 goals per game in these contests.
Offensively, the Maple Leafs come into the game at 3.6 goals per contest placing 9th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are in 18th position in the league. In terms of the Maple Leafs’ offense during power plays, they are 14th in power play goals and 19th in shorthanded goals.
Toronto’s current leading scorer is Auston Matthews. This season, he has 25 goals, which puts him 1st in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 12 assists so far.
Defensively, the Sabres come into the season ranked 16th in goals allowed. Opponents are averging 29.6 shots per game against Buffalo. For the season, they are ranked 25th in shutouts, coming in with 1 shutouts.
Heading into this matchup vs. Buffalo, goalie Ilya Samsonov has started 13 games in this season. His current record is 5-1, and his save percentage stands at 0.5257731958762887%.
Are Buffalo Ready for a Home Win?
This season, the Sabres currently hold an overall record of 13-17-3. When playing on the road, Buffalo has a 7-9-2 record, while they are 6-8-1 at home. In the Eastern Atlantic division, they are currently 7th, and in the Eastern conference, they come into the game sitting 14th.
Regarding the puck line, Buffalo comes in with a 16-17 record. On the road against the puck line, they are 11-7, while their home record is 5-10. Games involving Buffalo have an average of 6.3 goals per game this season. Their average over/under line is 6.5. In terms of their over/under performance, the Sabres come in with a record of 14-18-1.
Through their last three home games, Buffalo has an puck line record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 1-2 while averaging 2 goals per game.
On the offensive side, the Sabres are scoring an 2.8 goals per game this season, ranking 20th in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 11th in the league. Coming into the game, the Sabres have 8-9 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 5-8.
Buffalo’s current leading scorer is JJ Peterka. This season, he has 12 goals, which puts him 49th in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, Peterka has 11 assists this season.
Defensively, the Sabres are currently 16th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.6 shots per game against Buffalo. They also are 25th in shutouts, coming in with 1 shutouts.
Entering the game, goalie Devon Levi has started 13 games this season. His current record stands at 6-4, and his save percentage is 0.5824742268041238%.