The Buffalo Sabres (14-17-3) travel to face off against the New York Rangers (22-8-1) on Saturday, December 23rd. This game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Sabres are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Rangers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Oilers. Puck drop is set for 7:30 ET.

Buffalo Sabres vs New York Rangers

The Buffalo Sabres Are Coming Off A Win

This season, the Sabres have an overall record of 14-17-3. On the road, Buffalo holds a 7-9-2 mark, and they are 7-8-1 when playing at home. In the Eastern Atlantic division, they are currently 7th, and in the Eastern conference, they come into the game sitting 14th. This season, Buffalo has managed to win 10 games by a margin of more than one goal while losing 12 games by multiple goals. Their overall puck line record for the season is 17-17.

In their previous game, the Sabres hosted the Maple Leafs and game away with a 9-3 win. In all three periods, the Sabres’ offense found the net against the Maple Leafs. Buffalo’s offense came up with one power-play goals and added one when shorthanded. They wrapped up the game with 34 shots on goal.

Despite being the underdog, Buffalo managed to secure a win against the puck line in the game. The over/under line going into the game was 7 goals, which the teams surpassed with their combined 12 goals.

The New York Rangers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Facing the Sabres, the Rangers have a record of 22-8-1 so far. At home, their record is 10-4-0 and 12-4-1 on the road. They are currently positioned 1st in the Eastern Metropolitan division and 1st in the Eastern conference. This season, New York’s average scoring margin is +.6, which has their puck line record at 15-16. Their average home scoring margin is +.6, and in road games, it stands at +.6.

The Rangers are looking to bounce back from a 4-3 loss at home to the Oilers. In the 3rd period, the Rangers found the net two times against the Oilers after their one goal in the first period. New York’s one power-play goals contributed to their total of 3 goals. Their offensive performance came with 34 shots on goal and seven giveaways.

New York went into the game favored by -1.5, giving them a loss vs. the puck line. With a combined total of 7 goals, the teams exceeded the over/under line of 6.5 goals set for the game.

Buffalo Offense Breakdown

For their offensive performance, the Sabres come in averaging 3 goals per game this season, which is 14th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 9th in the league. So far this year, the Sabres are 9-9 in games they have had more shots on goal than their opponent. They are 5-8 in games with fewer shots on goal.

This season, the Sabres’ have an over/under record of 15-18-1. Throughout the season, they have played 19 games that did not exceed the 6.5 over/under line. On average, their games are averaging 6.5 goals per game.

New York Offense Breakdown

On the offensive side, the Rangers are scoring an 3.3 goals per game this season, ranking 15th in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 23rd in the league. Coming into the game, the Rangers have 16-4 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 6-3.

The Rangers come in with an over/under record of 14-15-2. Over the course of the season, they have had 17 games failing to surpass the 6.5 goal over/under line. The average number of goals in their games is at 6.1 per game.

Buffalo Team Defense

Defensively, the Sabres come into the season ranked 15th in goals allowed. Opponents are averging 29.5 shots per game against Buffalo. For the season, they are ranked 26th in shutouts, coming in with 1 shutouts.

New York Team Defense

The Rangers defense is currently 26th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 29.5 shots per game against New York. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 14th with 2 shutouts.

Sabres vs Rangers Trends

• Although Buffalo has a straight up record of 2-3 in their last five road games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 2-3. The team averaged 2 goals per game in these games.
• Through their last ten home contests, the Rangers offense has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing an average of 3. New York posted an overall record of 6-4 while going 6-4 ATS.
• New York has done well both straight up and vs the puck line when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 puck line in their last five games.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Sabres have gone 2-8 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 4-6.

Sabres vs Rangers Prediction

When it comes to a straight moneyline bet, look no further than the Rangers. Nevertheless, given the payout of -206, you could also think about incorporating this bet into a parlay.

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

For those looking at the over/under line set at 6.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making a bet 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.