Can J.T. Miller Lead the Vancouver Canucks to Another Victory?

The Buffalo Sabres will face off against the Rogers Arena on Sunday night to take on the Vancouver Canucks in an Eastern Conference vs Western Conference showdown. These teams faced off against one another all the way back on October 19 and Buffalo picked up a 5-2 home win. The Sabres are currently sixth in the Atlantic Division (20-32-8, 48 points) and are very unlikely to make the postseason while the Canucks are fifth in the Pacific Division (30-24-7, 67 points) and are just a single point out of the playoffs as it stands. 

These teams are at two completely different levels and with the Trade Deadline looming, these rosters can change a little bit. 

The Buffalo Sabres’ Defense Needs a Huge Improvement to Pull Off the Upset

The Sabres are currently averaging 2.67 goals on 29.8 shot attempts this season. Right winger Tage Thompson has been leading the team as he has scored 44 points (24 goals, 20 assists) but has recorded just three points in their last five games. Defensively as a whole, Buffalo is allowing 3.52 goals on 34.1 shots and needs to improve there. Goaltender Dustin Tokarski has to improve as he is 5-9-4 with 3.26 goals allowed per game and a .902 save percentage.   

Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller is doing extremely well this season as he is tied for sixth in points, tied for eighth in assists, and tied for 30th in the NHL in goals as he has posted 73 points (24 goals, 49 assists) and has been on fire with 12 points in his last five games. The offense of the Canucks are scoring 2.89 goals on 32.3 shots up to this point. Goalie Thatcher Demko has a 27-17-3 with .916 save percentage and 2.66 goals allowed per game. As a team, Vancouver is giving up 2.85 goals on 31.6 shot attempts up to this point. 

Buffalo Sabres at Vancouver Canucks Betting Prediction

There is an incredible difference in the last handful of games this season on the offensive side of the ice as the Sabres are scoring 2.25 goals in their previous four games while the Canucks are averaging 4.2 goals in their last five games. We can’t expect this as a fact but Vancouver can be looking for another offensive weapon as the season is coming closer towards the end. 

The Canucks currently have a 21.6 power play percentage this season and that is good for 14th in the league. The Sabres are 20th on the power play at 19.4 percent. Buffalo is 33-27 against the spread this season while Vancouver is 36-25 against the spread so far so there is no real big thing there.

All in all, go with the Canucks on the moneyline at home.

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* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.