The Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins meet Thursday in NHL action at the PPG Paints Arena. Here’s a Penguins vs. Sabres Prediction. This article will include a Penguins vs. Sabres pick.
Buffalo Sabres Betting Preview
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Lightning and Golden Knights, and they play the Predators next. The Sabres have won 4 straight games.
The Buffalo Sabres are averaging 3.38 goals per game and are scoring 19.9 percent of their power play opportunities. Tage Thompson leads Buffalo with 33 goals, Rasmus Dahlin has 41 assists, and Alex Tuch has 147 shots on goal. Defensively, the Buffalo Sabres are allowing 3 goals per game and are killing 82.9 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Alex Lyon has given up 72 goals on 836 shots faced, and Colten Ellis has allowed 38 goals on 367 shots.
Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Preview
The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Golden Knights and lost to the Bruins, and they play the Flyers next. The Penguins have won 9 of their last 13 games.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are averaging 3.38 goals per game and are scoring 26.1 percent of their power play opportunities. Sidney Crosby leads Pittsburgh with 27 goals, Evgeni Malkin has 34 assists, and Bryan Rust has 133 shots on goal. Defensively, the Pittsburgh Penguins are allowing 2.78 goals per game and are killing 84.6 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Arturs Silovs has allowed 75 goals on 753 shots faced, while Tristan Jarry has given up 36 goals on 396 shots.
Why the Pittsburgh Penguins will win
- The Penguins have won each of their last eight Thursday games as home underdogs.
- The Sabres have lost each of their last three games as favorites following a home win.
- The Penguins have covered the puck line in each of their last 10 games as underdogs.
- The Sabres have failed to cover the puck line in 10 of their last 12 games as road favorites against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The Penguins have won the first period in nine of their last 10 home games against Eastern Conference opponents.
Why the Buffalo Sabres will win
- The Sabres have won eight of their last nine road games.
- The Penguins have lost each of their last four games against opponents on a winning streak.
- The Sabres have covered the puck line in each of their last 11 road games.
- The Sabres have won the second period in each of their last five games as favorites following a home win.
Total Goals Facts
- Seven of the last eight games between the Sabres and Penguins at PPG Paints Arena have gone UNDER the total goals line.
- Each of the Sabres’ last four games as favorites following a win have gone UNDER the total goals line.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3’ market has hit in each of the last 12 games between the Sabres and Penguins.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in each of the Sabres’ last nine games against Eastern Conference opponents.
Pittsburgh Penguins Player Prop Facts
- Yegor Chinakhov has scored a goal in four of the Penguins’ last five home games.
- Evgeni Malkin has recorded at least one assist in each of the Penguins’ last seven home games.
- Rickard Rakell has recorded at least four shots in each of his last zero appearances—the [longest/equal-longest] active streak in the league.
Buffalo Sabres Player Prop Facts
- Joshua Norris has recorded at least one assist in each of his last eight appearances with his team as a road favorite.
- Tage Thompson has scored a goal in four of the Sabres’ last five games.
- Rasmus Dahlin has recorded at least four shots in each of his last zero appearances—[longest/equal-longest] active streak in the league.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Pittsburgh Penguins rank 2nd in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (84.57%).
- The Pittsburgh Penguins rank 3rd in the league in power play percentage this season (26.09%).
- The Buffalo Sabres rank 6th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (82.93%).
- The Buffalo Sabres rank 8th in the league for goals per game this season (3.38).
Penguins vs Sabres Prediction
The Penguins are at home and they’ve won 7 of the last 10 games against the Sabres. However, the Sabres are playing better hockey and the larger the sample size gets, the more this feels different. The Sabres may actually be good. The Penguins have had issues finding offense in two of their last three games and you have to wonder if not having Crosby is starting to catch up. Cheap prices across the board; I have to side with the Sabres in this spot. The value is too good to pass up.