The New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres meet Thursday in NHL action at the KeyBank Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a New York Islanders vs Buffalo Sabres prediction.
New York Islanders Betting Preview
The New York Islanders recently beat the Sharks and Ducks while losing to the Kings. The New York Islanders are averaging 3.06 goals per game and are scoring on 22.2 percent of their power play opportunities. Brock Nelson leads New York with 29 goals, Noah Dobson has 56 assists and Mathew Barzal has 187 shots on goal. Defensively, the New York Islanders are allowing 3.2 goals per game and are killing 72.2 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Ilya Sorokin has given up 139 goals on 1,536 shots faced, and Semyon Varlamov has allowed 49 goals on 558 shots.
Buffalo Sabres Betting Preview
The Buffalo Sabres recently beat the Oilers and Red Wings while losing to the Predators. The Buffalo Sabres are averaging 2.94 goals per game and are scoring on 16.6 percent of their power play opportunities. Jeff Skinner leads Buffalo with 21 goals, Rasmus Dahlin has 33 assists and Tage Thompson has 195 shots on goal. Defensively, the Buffalo Sabres are allowing 2.98 goals per game and are killing 78.5 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Devon Levi has given up 62 goals on 571 shots faced, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has allowed 96 goals on 1,113 shots.
Buffalo Sabres Team Facts
- The Sabres have lost each of their last 11 games as underdogs following a home win.
- The Sabres have covered the puck line in seven of their last eight games as underdogs against the Islanders.
- The Sabres have lost the first period in nine of their last 10 games as home underdogs against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The ‘Over 2.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in each of the Sabres’ last three games.
New York Islanders Team Facts
- The Islanders have lost each of their last six games at KeyBank Center.
- The Islanders have covered the puck line in each of their last five night games against Atlantic Division opponents.
- The Islanders have lost the second period in seven of their last eight games following a road loss.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in each of the Islanders’ last four games against Atlantic Division opponents.
New York Islanders vs Buffalo Sabres prediction
The New York Islanders are playing their best hockey of the season over the last couple of weeks, and their defense has stepped up. The Buffalo Sabres are coming off a couple of nice wins, and they should be favored because of the home ice. Also, the Sabres have won 7 of the last 10 meetings against the Islanders, so there’s a clear one-sided H2H advantage that should go toward the home team. Should be a fun one, but I’ll side with the Sabres at home if forced to pick.