The Buffalo Sabres (13-19-4) travel to face off against the St. Louis Blues (17-16-4) on Sunday, December 29th. This game will be played at Enterprise Center in St. Louis and televised on ESPN+. The Blues 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 3:00 ET.

Sabres vs Blues

The Buffalo Sabres Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Buffalo dropped to 13-19-4 after a 2-1 loss to the Red Wings. The Sabres scored first, with Alex Tuch netting a short-handed goal at 11:39 in the first period, but Detroit responded with two power-play goals in the second.

The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, but the teams combined for just 3. Buffalo, as underdogs on the puck line, failed to cover. The Sabres’ offense struggled, managing 32 shots but failing to score again after Tuch’s early goal.

The St. Louis Blues Are Coming Off A Win

With a 4-2 victory over the Maple Leafs, the Blues moved to 17-16-4 on the season. St. Louis covered the puck line as underdogs, and the total line of 6 goals resulted in a push.

After trailing 1-0 in the first period, the Blues responded with four unanswered goals. Three different players scored for St. Louis, and Pavel Buchnevich sealed the win with an empty-net goal at the 19:21 mark in the third period.

Buffalo Offense Breakdown

Buffalo took 32 shots on goal, but only Alex Tuch found the net in their 2-1 loss to Detroit. Tuch scored his fifth goal of the season on a shorthanded opportunity, 8:21 into the first period.

The Sabres had 13 giveaways and were shut out in the second and third periods. Tuch took 5 shots on goal, but no Sabres player registered an assist.

Blues Offense Breakdown

Colton Parayko led the way for the Blues with two goals, bringing his season total to 3. He also added his 5th assist on Pavel Buchnevich’s 4th goal of the season, which came on an empty net with 39 seconds left. Jordan Kyrou notched his 3rd goal of the year, scoring in the second period.

After a scoreless first period, the Blues scored three times in the second, with Parayko’s first goal coming 3:29 into the period. St. Louis took 24 shots on goal and recorded 14 giveaways.

Buffalo Team Defense

Buffalo’s defense allowed two goals in their previous game, both coming in the second period on power plays. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage. The Sabres’ defense also recorded 5 takeaways and 17 hits.

St. Louis Team Defense

Defensively, the Blues allowed the first goal 5:25 into the game and another late in the third period, but they held the Maple Leafs scoreless for a crucial stretch from the first period until 13:52 of the third. Jordan Binnington made 35 saves with a 94.6% save percentage, while the defense added 3 takeaways and 17 hits.

Sabres vs Blues Trends

• In their last five games away from home, the Sabres have a straight up record of 1-4 while going 1-4 vs. the spread. The team averaged 2 goals per game in this stretch.
• The Blues are 2-1 puck line in their last three home games and 2-1 straight-up.
• Through their last three games as the underdog, the Blues have an puck line record of 3-0 and a straight up mark of 2-1.
• Going back to their last five games as the favorite, the Sabres have a straight up record of 2-3. But, their mark vs the puck line was just 2-3.

Sabres vs Blues Prediction

When making a moneyline pick, my choice is the Sabres to come out with a win against the Blues while playing on the road. Considering the moneyline odds at +102, I’m placing my bet on the Sabres to win outright.

If you’re looking to get a bet down on this matchup, we foresee the Sabres winning the underdog. However, if you’re not as confident in the Sabres straight-up, we’d still recommend placing a bet on them to 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.

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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.