The Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers meet Wednesday in NHL action at Madison Square Garden. Here’s a Rangers vs. Sabres Prediction. This article will include a Rangers vs. Sabres Pick.
Buffalo Sabres Betting Preview
The Buffalo Sabres lost to the Capitals, beat the Lightning, and play the Blue Jackets next. The Sabres have lost 5 of their last 8 games.
The Buffalo Sabres are averaging 3.4 goals per game and are scoring 20.4 percent of their power play opportunities. Tage Thompson leads Buffalo with 38 goals, Rasmus Dahlin has 52 assists, and Alex Tuch has 188 shots on goal. Defensively, the Buffalo Sabres are allowing 2.99 goals per game and are killing 82 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Alex Lyon has given up 92 goals on 979 shots faced, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has allowed 81 goals on 894 shots.
New York Rangers Betting Preview
The New York Rangers beat the Red Wings and Capitals and play the Stars next. The Rangers have won 5 of their last 6 games.
The New York Rangers are averaging 2.9 goals per game and are scoring 24.9 percent of their power play opportunities. Mika Zibanejad leads New York with 33 goals, Adam Fox has 42 assists, and Artemi Panarin has 158 shots on goal. Defensively, the New York Rangers are allowing 3.04 goals per game and are killing 79.3 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Igor Shesterkin has allowed 121 goals on 1,381 shots faced, while Jonathan Quick has given up 70 goals on 654 shots.
Why the New York Rangers will win
- The Rangers have won four of their last five games as underdogs following a win.
- The Sabres have lost three of their last four games as favorites against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The home team has covered the puck line in each of the Rangers’ last eight games.
- The Sabres have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last six games as favorites.
- The Rangers have won the third period in each of their last seven home games.
Why the Buffalo Sabres will win
- The Rangers have lost each of their last six Wednesday games.
- The Sabres have won eight of their last 10 away games when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- The Sabres have covered the puck line in each of their last seven road games against the Rangers.
- The Rangers have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last eight Wednesday home games.
- The Sabres have won the third period in each of their last six games as road favorites following a win.
Total Goals Facts
- Eight of the Sabres’ last nine games against opponents on a winning streak have gone UNDER the total goals line.
- Thirteen of the Rangers’ last 15 night games at Madison Square Garden following a win have gone UNDER the total goals line.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in 15 of the Rangers’ last 16 night games.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in five of the Sabres’ last six games as road favorites against opponents on a winning streak.
New York Rangers Player Prop Facts
- Mika Zibanejad has scored a goal in three of the Rangers’ last four games against the Sabres.
- J.T. Miller has recorded at least one assist in each of his last five appearances against the Sabres.
- Mika Zibanejad ranks T6th in the league for Power Play Goals (15) this season.
Buffalo Sabres Player Prop Facts
- Jason Zucker has scored a goal in four of his last five appearances with his team as a favorite against the Rangers.
- Joshua Norris has recorded an assist in each of his last six appearances with his team as a road favorite against Eastern Conference opponents.
- Ryan McLeod has scored five career goals against the Rangers—equal to the most against any opponent (including playoffs).
Matchup/League Facts
- The New York Rangers rank 3rd in the league in power play percentage this season (24.88%).
- The New York Rangers rank T29th in the league for shots per game this season (25.3).
- The Buffalo Sabres rank 6th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (82.03%).
- The Buffalo Sabres rank 7th in the league for goals per game this season (3.40).
Rangers vs Sabres Prediction
The Sabres are the better team and should be favored, but they’ve also cooled off over the last couple of weeks and look like a team that’s coasting toward the playoffs. The Rangers have nothing to play for, but they’ve put together a strong week playing spoiler and I’d assume that motivation will continue here with it being their last home game of the season. A disappointing season, but the Rangers are showing fight and likely will play hard one last time in front of a strong NY fanbase. I’ll take a stab at it with the plus money.