The Hurricanes and Sabres are set to face off at 6:00 ET on ESPN+. The Sabres will host the game at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. The Hurricanes are the -1.5 goal favorite in this Eastern conference matchup against Sabres. The over/under for the game is set at 6 goals.

CAROLINA HURRICANES VS BUFFALO SABRES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Buffalo Sabres +1.5

This game will be played at KeyBank Center at 6:00 ET on Sunday, February 25th.

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 (+134)
  • The Sabres are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Can Carolina Pull Off a Road Win?

Carolina comes into this game with a record of 34-18-5, which has them in 2nd place in the Metropolitan Division and 5th place in the Eastern Conference. Over their last ten games, the Hurricanes have gone 7-3, and they have won their last two games on the road.

So far this season, Carolina has been favored in 50 of their 57 games, and they have gone 31-14-5 in those games. Against other teams from the Eastern Conference, the Hurricanes have gone 21-9 this season.

So far this season, the Hurricanes have gone 23-34 against the puck line and 19-31 as the favorite. Overall, Carolina’s scoring margin sits at +.5 goals per game, and they have 21 wins by multiple goals.

On the road, the Hurricanes have gone 11-16 vs. the puck line and have a scoring margin of +.4 goals per contest. In their last 10 road games, Carolina has gone 6-4 against the puck line.

On average, Carolina’s games have finished with 6.1 goals per game. The season’s average over/under line stands at 6.3. In total, the Hurricanes come in with an over/under record of 25-31-1.

Carolina has played well in their previous three road games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 2. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 2-1.

In terms of their offensive performance, the Hurricanes are averaging 3.3 goals per game this season, putting them in the 12th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 6th in the league. This season, the Hurricanes have a 23-15 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. In games with fewer shots on goal, they hold a 10-1 record.

The leading scorer for Carolina’s offense is Sebastian Aho. Coming into the game he has 22 goals, ranking 36th in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 39 assists so far.

Defensively, the Sabres are currently 25th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 28.9 shots per game against Buffalo. They also are 8th in shutouts, coming in with 4 shutouts.

Heading into this matchup vs. Buffalo, goalie Spencer Martin has started 13 games in this season. His current record is 6-8, and his save percentage stands at 0.458%.

Can the Sabres Pull the Upset at Home?

At home this season, the Sabres have a record of 12-16-1, and in the Eastern Conference, they are ranked 13th. In their last ten games, Buffalo has gone 6-4, and they have won two straight games as the favorite. Overall, the Sabres are 26-27-4, and they have 56 points, which has them in 6th place in the Atlantic Division.

As the underdog this year, Buffalo has a record of 13-18-3, and in their last three games, they are 2-1. In the Eastern Conference, the Sabres have gone 15-19, and they have been the underdog in 34 of their 57 games. On the year, Buffalo has been the favorite in 23 games, and they have a record of 13-9-1 in those contests.

Buffalo enters the game with a puck line record of 29-28 and their average scoring margin sits at -.1 goals per game. So far this year, the Sabres have been the underdog in 34 games, and their puck line record as the underdog is 22-12.

Over their last ten games at home, Buffalo’s puck line record is 6-4, and they have an average scoring margin of -.2 goals per contest. So far this year, the team’s puck line record at home is 12-17, and their puck line losing streak is at three games.

This season, Buffalo’s games have an average of 5.9 goals per game. The average over/under number for the season is 6.5. The Sabres come in with an over/under performance of 23-32-2.

When looking at their past three road matchups, Carolina has an puck line record of 2-1 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.

The Sabres come into the game scoring an average of 2.9 goals per game, putting them 21st in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 11th in the league. So far this year, the Sabres are 16-18 in games they have had more shots on goal than their opponent. They are 10-9 in games with fewer shots on goal.

Buffalo’s current leading scorer is JJ Peterka. This season, he has 19 goals, which puts him 61st in the NHL. Peterka also comes into the game with 18 assists.

Buffalo defense takes on the Hurricanes ranked 25th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are averaging 28.9 shots per game against Buffalo. They also are 8th in shutouts, with 4 shutouts.

Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen comes into the game having made 30 starts this season. So far, his record is 16-14 and he has a save percentage of 0.776%.