The Sabres and Maple Leafs are set to face off at 7:00 ET on TNT. The Maple Leafs will host the game at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. This Atlantic division matchup has an over/under of 6.5 goals, and the Maple Leafs are favored by -1.5 at home vs. the Sabres.

BUFFALO SABRES VS TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5

This game will be played at Scotiabank Arena at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, March 6th.

WHY BET THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS:

  • With a 1.5-goal advantage on the spread, our projections favor the Maple Leafs to secure a 4-3 victory.
  • Take the Maple Leafs on the moneyline
  • On the spread, we like Sabres (+1.5)

No Pressure for Buffalo as Away Dogs

Buffalo comes into this game with an overall record of 29-29-4, which has them sitting in 6th place in the Atlantic Division and 13th place in the Eastern Conference. On the road, the Sabres have gone 15-12-3 this season.

Over their last ten games, Buffalo has gone 6-4 and they have won two straight games when they have been the favorite. Against teams from the Eastern Conference, the Sabres have gone 17-20 this year.

Buffalo enters the game with an average scoring margin of -.1 goals per game. So far this season, the Sabres have 20 losses by more than one goal compared to 10 wins by multiple goals.

On the road, the Sabres have a puck line record of 19-11, and their average scoring margin away from home is at 0 goals per game. In their last ten road games, Buffalo has a puck line record of 7-3.

For the season, Buffalo’s games have finished with an average of 6 goals per game. Their average over/under line for the season is 6.5. Overall, the Sabres have an over/under record of 25-35-2.

When looking at their past three road matchups, Buffalo has an puck line record of 2-1 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.

For their offensive performance, the Sabres come in averaging 2.9 goals per game this season, which is 23rd in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 12th in the league. In terms of power play goals, the Sabres offense is 27th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they are 15th in the NHL.

Buffalo’s current leading scorer is JJ Peterka. This season, he has 20 goals, which puts him 66th in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 18 assists so far.

In terms of defense, the Maple Leafs head into the game ranked 24th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.7 shots per game against Toronto. So far, they are 6th in shutouts, achieving 4 shutouts.

Heading into this matchup vs. Toronto, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has started 35 games in this season. His current record is 19-16, and his save percentage stands at 0.796%.

Can the Maple Leafs Please their Home Crowd?

At home this season, the Maple Leafs have gone 17-12-2, and when favored, they have a record of 30-14-7. In the Atlantic Division, Toronto is in 3rd place, and in the Eastern Conference, they are in 5th place. Over their last ten games, the Maple Leafs have gone 8-2.

So far this season, Toronto has accumulated 78 points, and their overall record is 35-18-8. Against Eastern Conference opponents, the Maple Leafs have gone 12-18, and they have been favored in 51 of their 61 games. Over their last five games, Toronto has gone 3-2.

At home this season, the Maple Leafs have a puck line record of just 10-21, and their average scoring margin is +.4 goals per game. Overall, Toronto has gone 22-39 against the puck line, and they have 19 wins by multiple goals.

So far, the Maple Leafs’ puck line record as the favorite is 15-36, and they have dropped their last two games against the puck line. In their last ten games at home, Toronto has gone just 3-7 vs. the puck line.

For the season, Toronto’s games have finished with an average of 6.9 goals per game. Their average over/under line for the season is 6.5. Overall, the Maple Leafs have an over/under record of 33-26-2.

Buffalo has played well in their previous three road games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 2. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 2-1.

For their offensive performance, the Maple Leafs come in averaging 3.6 goals per game this season, which is 4th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 5th in the league. The Toronto offense is ranked 7th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they find themselves at 13th in the NHL.

The leading scorer for Toronto’s offense is Auston Matthews. Coming into the game he has 53 goals, ranking 1st in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 26 assists so far.

Defensively, the Maple Leafs come into the season ranked 24th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 29.7 shots per game against Toronto. For the season, they are ranked 6th in shutouts, coming in with 4 shutouts.

Goalie Ilya Samsonov gets the start and has made 28 starts this season. His record at this point is 15-5, and his save percentage is 0.62%.