Don’t miss out on the NHL showdown between the Sabres and Oilers. The game is starting at 9:00 ET on ESPN+, and it’s hosted by the Oilers at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 6.5 goals, with the Oilers being the favored by -1.5 goals against the Sabres.

BUFFALO SABRES VS EDMONTON OILERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Edmonton Oilers -1.5

This game will be played at Rogers Place at 9:00 ET on Thursday, March 21st.

WHY BET THE EDMONTON OILERS:

  • In spite of being 1.5 goal underdogs, we anticipate the Sabres winning this one 4-2.
  • We like the Sabres on the moneyline (+178)
  • The Sabres are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Are Buffalo Ready for a Road Win?

Buffalo enters this game with a record of 33-32-5, which has them in 11th place in the Eastern Conference and 6th in the Atlantic Division. On the road, the Sabres are 16-15-4 this season. Over their last ten games, Buffalo has gone 5-5 and 3-2 in their last five games. As the underdog, the Sabres have a record of 19-22-4 this season.

So far this season, Buffalo has been favored in 25 of their 70 games and have gone 14-10-1 in those games. Against Eastern Conference opponents, the Sabres have a record of 19-22.

Buffalo enters the game with a puck line record of 39-31, including a mark of 22-13 on the road. So far, the Sabres have 22 wins by multiple goals and 11 wins by just one goal.

In their last ten games, the Sabres have gone 7-3 against the puck line and 6-4 in their last ten road contests. As the underdog, Buffalo has a puck line record of 31-14, including covering the puck line in each of their last four games.

This season, Buffalo’s games are averaging 5.9 goals per game. Their average over/under line is 6.4. The Sabres currently have an over/under record of 27-41-2.

Buffalo has a 1-2 record in their last three road games. In this stretch, they averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 3. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 2-1.

On offense, the Sabres are averaging 3 goals per game which is 20th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 12th in the league. Looking at how the Sabres’ offense is performing during power plays, they are 28th in power play goals and 16th in shorthanded goals.

Buffalo will be looking for a good game from Jeff Skinner who leads the team in scoring with 24 goals, ranking 46th in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 21 assists so far.

The Oilers defense is currently 31st in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 28.4 shots per game against Edmonton. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 22nd with 3 shutouts.

Heading into this matchup vs. Edmonton, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has started 41 games in this season. His current record is 23-17, and his save percentage stands at 0.855%.

Does Edmonton Have What it Takes to Win as Home Favorites?

At home this season, the Oilers are 22-8-3, and they have been favored in 57 of their 66 games. Overall, Edmonton is 41-21-4, and they are in 2nd place in the Pacific Division and 5th in the Western Conference. Over their last ten games, the Oilers have gone 7-3. In the Western Conference, Edmonton has a record of 23-14.

So far this season, Edmonton has been favored in 37 of their 57 games. Against teams in the Western Conference, the Oilers have gone 13-7. At home, they are on a two-game winning streak and have gone 3-2 in their last five games. Over their last three games, the Oilers are 2-1.

Edmonton enters this game with a puck line record of 31-35 and has gone 27-30 vs. the puck line when favored. So far this season, the Oilers have a scoring differential of +.7 goals per game.

Overall, the team has 28 wins by multiple goals and has dropped 18 games by more than one goal. In their last ten home games, the Oilers have gone just 4-6 vs. the puck line.

On average, Edmonton’s games have finished with 6.4 goals per game. The season’s average over/under line stands at 6.6. In total, the Oilers come in with an over/under record of 27-36-3.

Across their last three road contests, Buffalo has a 2-1 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 1-2, while averaging 3 goals per game.

On offense, the Oilers are averaging 3.5 goals per game which is 9th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 8th in the league. This year, the Oilers have recorded a 27-13 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. For games with fewer shots on goal, they have a 14-7 record.

Edmonton’s leading goal scorer is Zach Hyman. So far this season, he has 46 goals, placing him 3rd in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, Hyman has 19 assists this season.

Defensively, the Oilers come into the season ranked 31st in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 28.4 shots per game against Edmonton. For the season, they are ranked 22nd in shutouts, coming in with 3 shutouts.

Entering the game, goalie Stuart Skinner has started 47 games this season. His current record stands at 30-13, and his save percentage is 0.909%.