NHL Best Bets: Sabres vs. Panthers Game Picks

Two teams jockeying for playoff position in the Eastern Conference will face off tonight, with the Florida Panthers hosting the Buffalo Sabres.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

The Sabres are coming off a big win against the Tampa Bay Lightning last night and will look to build off that when they visit Florida. Buffalo has significantly jumped in the standings, signaling the rebuild is over. The Panthers were again expected to be a top team in the league, but the new mix of players hasn’t come together, and they find themselves hovering on the playoff cut line.

Florida is listed as a sizable favorite tonight on the moneyline, priced at -200, while the Sabres are +162. The Sabres have a 5-4-1 record over their last ten games, while the Panthers are 6-4 over that same sample size. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the Sabres are expected to start Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in the net, while the Panthers should do the same with Sergei Bobrovsky. The Sabres’ young netminder has a 14-8-2 record with a .894 save percentage, while Bobrovsky is 17-15-2 with a .902 save percentage. 

This will be the third of four meetings between these clubs. The Panthers won the previous two matchups, outscoring the Sabres 8-4. With Buffalo having played last night and the Panthers rested, targeting the home side on the puck line has some value at +118.

Best Bet: Panthers Puck Line -1.5 (+118)

The Sabres and Panthers are two of hockey’s highest-scoring teams, landing inside the top six in goals scored per game. However, they both have problems keeping pucks out of their net, sitting inside the bottom third in goals allowed per game. Over the Sabres’ last five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored in four, while the Panthers have also seen that in four. With recent trends, we’re likely in for another high-scoring affair.

Best Bet: Over seven (-114) 

With two of the top offenses colliding, the goal-scoring department has plenty of value. Matthew Tkachuk has been dynamite, leading the club with 78 points in 57 games. He has been the team’s clear MVP and will be counted on heavily down the stretch. With a juicy matchup for the Panthers, targeting Tkachuk to score has a lot of value at +120. 

Best Prop: Matthew Tkachuk to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+120)

The post NHL Best Bets: Sabres vs. Panthers Game Picks appeared first on NESN.com.