Looking to win big? The Sabres and Canadiens face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Canadiens are hosting the game at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC. The Sabres are the -1.5 goal favorites in this Atlantic division matchup against the Canadiens. The over/under for the game is set at 6.5 goals.

BUFFALO SABRES VS MONTREAL CANADIENS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Montreal Canadiens +1.5

This game will be played at Bell Centre at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, February 21st.

WHY BET THE MONTREAL CANADIENS:

  • Coming in as 1.5 goal favorites, our projections have the Sabres picking up a 4-3 win.
  • Take the Sabres on the moneyline
  • On the puck line, we like Canadiens (+1.5)

Do the Sabres Stand a Chance in Montreal?

As the Buffalo Sabres head into tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, they find themselves in 13th place in the Eastern Conference standings. Their overall record of 24-27-4 has them sitting 6th in the Atlantic Division.

On the road this season, the Sabres have gone 12-11-3, and they come into tonight’s game with a three-game winning streak away from home. Against other teams in the Eastern Conference, Buffalo has gone 13-19 on the year.

On the road, Buffalo has a puck line record of 17-9 and an average scoring margin of -0.1 goals per game. So far, the Sabres have 18 wins by multiple goals and 19 losses by multiple goals.

Overall, Buffalo’s puck line record is 29-26, and they have gone 5-5 vs. the puck line in their last 10 games. Against the puck line as the favorite, the Sabres are 7-14, and their puck line record as the underdog is 22-12.

For the season, the average number of goals per game in matchups featuring Buffalo is 6. The season’s average over/under line is currently at 6.5. The Sabres come in with an over/under record of 23-30-2.

The Sabres are 3-0 puck line in their three last road games and 3-0 straight-up.

On the offensive side, the Sabres are scoring an 2.9 goals per game this season, ranking 22nd in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 11th in the league. In terms of power play goals, the Sabres offense is 29th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they are 24th in the NHL.

The leading scorer for Buffalo’s offense is JJ Peterka. Coming into the game he has 19 goals, ranking 55th in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 18 assists so far.

Defensively, the Canadiens come into the season ranked 3rd in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 33.6 shots per game against Montreal. For the season, they are ranked 27th in shutouts, coming in with 1 shutouts.

Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gets the start and has made 28 starts this season. His record at this point is 14-14, and his save percentage is 0.745%.

Do the Canadiens Have a Shot at a Home Win?

At 52 points, the Canadiens are 14th in the Eastern Conference standings and 7th in the Atlantic Division. Over their last ten games, Montreal has gone just 3-7, including a four-game losing streak as the underdog.

For the season, the Canadiens are 22-25-8, including a record of 4-11 against divisional opponents and 12-18 against Eastern Conference teams. At home, Montreal has gone 11-15-3 this season.

Montreal enters this game with a puck line record of 34-21 and an average scoring margin of -0.7 goals per game. So far, the Canadiens have 15 wins by one goal and seven wins by multiple goals.

As the underdog, Montreal has a puck line record of 33-17, and their average scoring differential when not favored is -1 goal per game. In their last ten home games, the Canadiens have a puck line record of 7-3.

Games involving Montreal have an average of 6.5 goals per game this season. Their average over/under line is 6.3. In terms of their over/under performance, the Canadiens come in with a record of 29-25-1.

In their last three road games, Buffalo has averaged 4 goals per game while allowing 2. The team’s record in this stretch was 3-0 while going 3-0 vs. the spread.

For their offensive performance, the Canadiens come in averaging 2.8 goals per game this season, which is 27th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 27th in the league. In terms of the Canadiens’ offense during power plays, they are 17th in power play goals and 16th in shorthanded goals.

Montreal’s current leading scorer is Nick Suzuki. This season, he has 20 goals, which puts him 44th in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 33 assists so far.

Defensively, the Canadiens come into the season ranked 3rd in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 33.6 shots per game against Montreal. For the season, they are ranked 27th in shutouts, coming in with 1 shutouts.

Goalie Sam Montembeault comes into the game having made 25 starts this season. So far, his record is 12-9 and he has a save percentage of 0.774%.