The Buffalo Sabres (38-37-5) travel to face off against the Florida Panthers (50-24-6) on Saturday, April 13th. This game will be played at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise and televised on ESPN+. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Puck drop is set for 5:00 ET.

Sabres vs Panthers

The Buffalo Sabres Are Coming Off A Win

Heading into the game, the Sabres are 13th in the Eastern Conference with 81 points. Their overall record is 38-37-5, and they have gone 23-25 against teams in the East. In the Atlantic Division, Buffalo is in 6th place with a record of 10-14.

On the road this season, the Sabres have gone 17-18-4, and they have lost their last two games away from home. When playing as the underdog, Buffalo is 20-26-4 on the year and has lost three straight games in this situation.

Buffalo enters the game with a puck line record of 45-35 and has gone 27-26 vs. the puck line in games not decided by one goal. So far, the Sabres have played 50 games as the underdog and have a puck line mark of 33-17 in those contests.

When on the road, Buffalo has gone 24-15 vs. the puck line and has a scoring differential of -.2 goals per contest. In their last ten games, the Sabres have a puck line record of 6-4, and their average scoring margin for the season sits at zero goals per game.

In their recent matchup, the Sabres hosted the Capitals and came away with a 4-2 victory. Facing off against the Capitals’ defense, the Sabres offense scored in all three periods. In the game, Buffalo managed to score all four goals at even strength. They concluded with 17 shots on goal and committed 3 turnovers.

Coming into the game favored by -1.5, Buffalo also managed to pick up a victory against the puck line. The game ended with a total of 6 goals, resulting in a push on the over/under.

The Florida Panthers Are Coming Off A Win

With a record of 50-24-6 and 106 points, the Florida Panthers sit in 4th place in the Eastern Conference and 2nd in the Atlantic Division. They have won two straight games and have gone 5-5 in their last ten games. At home this season, the Panthers have gone 24-13-2 and have won three straight games.

As the favorite, Florida has gone 44-19-2 this season and has won three straight games as the favorite. Against teams in the Eastern Conference, the Panthers have gone 31-17 this season. In the last three games, Florida has gone 2-1.

Florida enters this game with a puck line record of 40-40 for the season, including going 28-37 when favored. So far, the Panthers have 32 wins by multiple goals and have gone 5-5 over their last 10 games vs. the puck line.

Over their last 10 games at home, the Panthers have gone just 3-7 vs. the puck line and 13-26 overall at home this season. So far, Florida’s average scoring margin at home is just +.5 goals per game.

In their previous game, the Panthers hosted the Blue Jackets and game away with a 4-0 win. Against the Blue Jackets, Panthers’ offense was able to score in all three periods. All four goals came at even strength. They finished with 46 shots on goal and had 18 turnovers.

Coming into the game favored by -1.5, Florida also managed to pick up a victory against the puck line. The over/under line for the game was 6.5, and it concluded with a combined total of 4 goals.

Buffalo Offense Breakdown

The Sabres come into the game scoring an average of 3 goals per game, putting them 21st in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 14th in the league. Buffalo’s offense comes into the game ranked 30th in power play goals. And in terms of shorthanded goals, they are 21st in the NHL.

The Sabres have posted an over/under record of 31-45-4 so far this season. During last season, they participated in 23 games that did not exceed the over/under line set at 5.5. On average, their games had 7.3 goals per game.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

On offense, the Panthers are averaging 3.2 goals per game which is 12th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 1st in the league. Looking at how the Panthers’ offense is performing during power plays, they are 5th in power play goals and 14th in shorthanded goals.

The Panthers come in with an over/under record of 29-48-3. Over the course of the season, they have had 44 games failing to surpass the 5.5 goal over/under line. The average number of goals in their games is at 5.7 per game.

Buffalo Team Defense

Defensively, the Sabres are currently 22nd in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 28.9 shots per game against Buffalo. They also are 13th in shutouts, coming in with 5 shutouts.

Florida Team Defense

In terms of defense, the Panthers head into the game ranked 27th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 27.6 shots per game against Florida. So far, they are 2nd in shutouts, achieving 8 shutouts.

Sabres vs Panthers Trends

• When looking at their past five road matchups, Buffalo has an puck line record of 3-2 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 1-4 overall in these games.
• In their last ten games at home, the Panthers have a straight up record of 5-5 while going 3-7 vs. the spread. The team averaged 2 goals per game in this stretch.
• As the betting underdog, the Panthers have an puck line mark of just 9-1 in their last ten games. Florida posted a straight up mark of 4-6 in these matchups.
• The Sabres have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 4-1 straight up and 4-1 against the spread.

Sabres vs Panthers Prediction

If you’re looking for a straight moneyline bet, then the Panthers are the way to go. However, with a payout of -216, you might consider using this bet as a leg of a parlay.

When it comes to my suggested pick for the puck line, I’d advise taking the Sabres to cover. Even in the event of a Panthers victory, this matchup is likely to remain closely contested, and the Sabres should cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 5.5 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are 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.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.