The Buffalo Sabres (27-34-6) travel to face off against the Minnesota Wild (39-25-5) on Saturday, March 22nd. This game will be played at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul and televised on ESPN+. The Wild are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Sabres are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Red Wings. Puck drop is set for 2:00 ET.

Sabres vs Wild

The Buffalo Sabres Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Buffalo fell to 27-34-6 after a 2-1 loss to the Red Wings. The Sabres led early, with Alex Tuch scoring at 11:39 in the first period, but Detroit responded with two goals in the second.

The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, but the teams combined for just 3. Buffalo, as the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover. All of the Sabres’ 1 goal came from Tuch, who scored unassisted and short-handed.

The Minnesota Wild Are Coming Off A Win

With a 2-1 overtime victory against the Maple Leafs, the Wild improved to 39-25-5. Minnesota was favored on the puck line, but didn’t cover. The total was set at 6 goals, and the teams combined for just 3.

Ryan Hartman scored first for the Wild at 10:19 in the first period, but the Maple Leafs responded with a goal at 19:08. Matt Boldy secured the win with a goal at 2:14 in overtime.

Buffalo Offense Breakdown

Buffalo’s offense managed 32 shots on goal but only found the net once in their 2-1 loss to Detroit. Alex Tuch scored his 5th goal of the season, coming on a shorthanded opportunity 8:21 into the first period. The Sabres recorded 13 giveaways and were shut out in both the second and third periods.

Despite the lack of scoring, Tuch was active with 5 shots on goal. The Sabres were unable to convert on any power play opportunities and didn’t record an assist in the game.

Wild Offense Breakdown

Ryan Hartman netted his third goal of the season at 9:41 in the first period, while Matt Boldy followed with his sixth, scoring 2:14 into overtime to secure a 2-1 win. Jared Spurgeon contributed with two assists, bringing his season total to three.

The Wild took 33 shots on goal but were held scoreless in the second and third periods. They recorded 15 giveaways in the game.

Buffalo Team Defense

Defensively, the Sabres will need to clean up their play in their own end after giving up two goals in the second period, both of which came on the power play. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, and the defense recorded 5 takeaways and 17 hits.

Minnesota Team Defense

Defensively, the Wild gave up a late first-period goal at 19:08 but shut out the Maple Leafs for the rest of the game. Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves, posting a 96.4% save percentage. The Wild’s defense also recorded 7 takeaways and 22 hits.

Sabres vs Wild Trends

• Across the Sabres last three road games, the team averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 4. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 1-2, while going 1-2 straight-up.
• Across the Wild last ten home games, the team averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 2. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 6-4, while going 6-4 straight-up.
• Through their last five games as the underdog, the Wild have an puck line record of 4-1 and a straight up mark of 3-2.
• Across their last five matchups as the betting favorite, the Sabres have an overall record of 3-2 while going 1-4 against the spread.

Sabres vs Wild Prediction

For a moneyline pick, I’m taking the Wild to pick up on a win over the Sabres at home. With the moneyline sitting at -145, I’ll be locking in a bet on the Wild straight-up.

If you’re looking for a puck line bet, I’d suggest going with the Sabres to cover. Even in the event of a Wild victory, this game is expected to be closely fought, and the Sabres should cover the puck line.

With an over/under line sitting at 5.5 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down on the over.

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

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* 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.