Don’t miss out on the NHL showdown between the Islanders and Sabres. The game is starting at 7:00 ET on MSG-, and it’s hosted by the Sabres at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. Get ready to place your bets! In this Eastern matchup, the Islanders are favored by -1.5 goals against the Sabres. The over/under for the game is 6 goals.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS 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, March 14th.

WHY BET THE BUFFALO SABRES:

  • The Islanders enter this game as 1.5-goal favorites and in our projections and we anticipate them winning by a score of 4-3.
  • Take the Islanders on the moneyline
  • On the puck line, we like Sabres (+1.5)

Do the Islanders Have What it Takes to Win as Road Favorites?

Through 64 games, the Islanders are 29-21-14 and sit in 8th place in the Eastern Conference standings. In the Metropolitan Division, New York is in 4th place. On the road this season, the Islanders have gone 14-13-5.

Over their last ten games, the Islanders have gone 7-3 and have won three straight games when they have been favored. Overall, New York has been favored in 30 of their 64 games this season, going 15-10-5 in those games.

So far this year, the Islanders have an average scoring differential of -.2 goals per game. Across their last ten games, New York has gone 7-3 vs. the puck line, including a 4-1 mark in their previous five outings. Overall, the Islanders have gone 33-31 vs. the puck line, and they have been the underdog in 34 of their 67 games.

When playing on the road, the Islanders have gone 19-13 vs. the puck line, and they have an average scoring margin of -.2 goals per game. So far, New York has won 13 games by multiple goals compared to 16 one-goal victories. In their last ten road games, the Islanders have gone 6-4 vs. the puck line, and they have a puck line record of 24-10 when listed as the underdog.

For the season, New York’s games have finished with an average of 6.3 goals per game. Their average over/under line for the season is 6. Overall, the Islanders have an over/under record of 35-25-4.

The Islanders are 2-1 puck line in their three last road games and 2-1 straight-up.

The Islanders come into the game scoring an average of 3.1 goals per game, putting them 20th in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 21st in the league. The Islanders went 11-10 in games where they had more shots than their opponents. However, in games with fewer shots on goal, their record was 18-11.

The leading scorer for New York’s offense is Brock Nelson. Coming into the game he has 29 goals, ranking 21st in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, Nelson has 27 assists this season.

The Sabres defense is currently 22nd in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 28.8 shots per game against Buffalo. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 13th with 4 shutouts.

Goalie Ilya Sorokin comes into the game having made 46 starts this season. So far, his record is 22-14 and he has a save percentage of 1.0%.

Is a Home Win Possible for Buffalo?

At home this season, the Sabres have gone 16-17-1 and have won their last two games. Against the Eastern Conference, Buffalo has a record of 18-21 and is currently in 11th place in the standings. Overall, they have gone 31-30-5 on the year.

As the underdog, the Sabres have gone 17-21-4 and have lost three of their last five games. In the Atlantic Division, Buffalo is in sixth place with a record of 10-10.

At home this season, the Sabres are just 16-18 against the puck line, but their overall mark vs. the puck line is at 36-30. So far, Buffalo has gone 28-14 against the puck line when listed as the underdog.

Overall, the Sabres have 20 wins by multiple goals and have gone 7-3 against the puck line over their last 10 games. In their last three games, Buffalo is 2-1 vs. the puck line.

The average goal total for Buffalo’s games is sitting at 6. The average over/under line for the season is 6.5. The Sabres come in with an over/under record of 26-38-2.

When looking at their past three road matchups, New York has an puck line record of 2-1 while averaging 4 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.

In terms of their offensive performance, the Sabres are averaging 2.9 goals per game this season, putting them in the 21st spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 12th in the league. Looking at how the Sabres’ offense is performing during power plays, they are 29th in power play goals and 15th in shorthanded goals.

The leading scorer for Buffalo’s offense is JJ Peterka. Coming into the game he has 21 goals, ranking 62nd in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 18 assists so far.

In terms of defense, the Sabres head into the game ranked 22nd in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 28.8 shots per game against Buffalo. So far, they are 13th in shutouts, achieving 4 shutouts.

Entering the game, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has started 38 games this season. His current record stands at 21-16, and his save percentage is 0.835%.