Buffalo Sabres (24-31-6) vs. Florida Panthers (39-21-3)
March 8, 2025 6:00 pm EDT
The Line: Florida Panthers -270 / Buffalo Sabres 225; Over/Under: 6.5
(Get latest betting odds)
In this article, we will formulate a Panthers vs. Sabres Prediction for this NHL game on Saturday, March 8th, at the Rogers Arena. Let’s take a look at the Florida Panthers vs. Buffalo Sabres pick.
Sabres are Ice Cold
The Sabres are ice-cold heading into this game, and they have lost six in a row. Two games ago against the San Jose Sharks, they lost 6-2, and in the last game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, they lost 6-5. Ukko-Pekka Luukonnen was in goal, and he was awful, giving up six goals on 26 shots. The goaltending is going to need to be a whole lot if they want any chance here. The Sabres also scored five goals, and all of those were from a different goal scorer. The Sabres were also sellers at the trade deadline, and they hope one year they will still be competitive at this point of the season. After this game, Buffalo will head home for a matchup with the Edmonton Oilers.
Buffalo’s offense ranks 11th with an average of 3.2 goals per game. They have given up an average of 3.5 goals per game, ranking them 30th in the NHL defensively. Their shooting percentage is looking good at 11.4 percent, ranking them 7th.
Brad Marchand to Florida
The big news for the Panthers at the trade deadline was the Panthers traded for Brad Marchand. It’s unclear if he’s going to be able to go in this game, though, with the quick turnaround. On Thursday the Panthers faced off against the Columbus Blue Jackets and they ended up winning 3-0. Sergei Bobrovsky saved all 16 shots that he faced. The fact he only had to face that many shots just shows how dominant the defense is playing. In this game, it will need to be much of the same.
Florida’s offense ranks in 8th place, averaging 3.3 goals per game. Defensively, they have allowed 2.7 goals per game, ranking them 9th overall. They have an impressive number of shots per game, 31.98, which puts them in 2nd place in the NHL. Sergei Bobrovsky could get the start in goal. He has a 27-13-2 record and is giving up 2.49 goals per game. The Panthers have won his last four starts.
Why the Panthers Will Beat the Sabres
- The Panthers have won nine of their last 10 games at Amerant Bank Arena.
- The Sabres have lost seven of their last eight road games.
- The Panthers have covered the puck line in seven of their last nine night games against opponents on a losing streak.
- The Panthers have won the third period in each of their last six home games against opponents on a losing streak.
Panthers vs Sabres Prediction
This game is going to get out of control early, and sorry, Sabres fans, it’s not going to be your fans going home happy. The Panthers not only have played well, the goaltending and defense have been impressive, and it’s going to be much of the same here. The Sabers will struggle to score even a goal, and once the floodgates open, it will be a problem. The Sabres might not even score a goal, and Florida will end up cruising. Back Florida on the puck line.
