The Tampa Bay Lightning (23-17-5) travel to face off against the Buffalo Sabres (20-21-4) on Saturday, January 20th. This game will be played at KeyBank Center in Buffalo and televised on ESPN+. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Puck drop is set for 12:30 ET.

Lightning vs Sabres

The Tampa Bay Lightning Are Coming Off A Win

Heading into tonight’s game against the Sabres, the Lightning have a record of 23-17-5 and are currently in 7th place in the Eastern Conference. Within the Atlantic Division, Tampa Bay is in 4th place and has gone 4-7 against division opponents this season.

On the road, the Lightning have struggled, going just 8-12-2, but they have won four straight games and have gone 6-4 in their last ten contests. Tampa Bay has been favored in 24 of their 45 games this season and have gone 15-8-1 in those games.

On the season, the Lightning have a puck line record of 22-23, including a road puck line record of 8-14. So far, Tampa Bay has 15 wins by multiple goals and has gone 9-15 against the puck line when favored. Over their last ten games, the Lightning’s puck line record is 5-5.

Overall, Tampa Bay has an average scoring margin of .0 goals per game. In their last three games, the Lightning’s puck line record is 2-1. So far, the team has 16 losses by multiple goals.

The Lightning recently hosted the Wild and emerged victorious with a 7-3 win. Throughout the game against the Wild, Lightning’s offense managed to score in every single period. Of Tampa Bay’s seven goals, three came while in power play. They ended the game with 38 shots on goal and had four giveaways.

Tampa Bay came in as the favorites with a -1.5 goal advantage and, as a result, recorded a win against the puck line. With a combined total of 10 goals, the teams exceeded the over/under line of 6.5 goals set for the game.

The Buffalo Sabres Are Coming Off A Win

At home this season, the Sabres have gone 11-11-1, and they have won two straight games at home. In the Atlantic Division, Buffalo is in 7th place with a record of 7-6. Overall, the Sabres are 20-21-4, and in the Eastern Conference, they are 14th.

As the underdog, Buffalo has gone 10-15-3 this season, and they have lost three straight games when they have been the underdog. Over their last 10 games, the Sabres are 6-4, and they have gone 2-1 in their last three games. In their last five games, Buffalo has gone 3-2.

Buffalo enters the game with a puck line record of 24-21 this season, including going 4-1 against the puck line in their last five games. On the road, the Sabres have gone 14-8 against the puck line, and their average scoring margin away from home is at -0.3 goals per contest.

So far, Buffalo has been the underdog in 28 of their games, and their puck line record as the underdog is at 18-10. Overall, the team’s average scoring margin is at -0.2 goals per game, and they have 15 wins by multiple goals.

The Sabres recently hosted the Blackhawks and emerged victorious with a 3-0 win. In the opening period, the Sabres couldn’t find the net on offense, but they rebounded with one time in the second period and two goals in the third. Of Buffalo’s three goals, one were scored while in power play situations. Their game ended with 31 shots on goal and one giveaways.

Buffalo secured a win against the puck line, entering the game as the favorites with a -1.5 goal advantage. With a combined total of 3 goals, the game concluded below the over/under line of 6.

Tampa Bay Offense Breakdown

On the offensive side, the Lightning are scoring an 3.4 goals per game this season, ranking 5th in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 15th in the league. In terms of the Lightning’s offense during power plays, they are 1st in power play goals and 31st in shorthanded goals.

This season, the Lightning’s have an over/under record of 20-21-4. Throughout the season, they have played 23 games that did not exceed the 6.5 over/under line. On average, their games are averaging 6.8 goals per game.

Sabres Offense Breakdown

The Sabres come into the game scoring an average of 3 goals per game, putting them 19th in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 11th in the league. Coming into the game, the Sabres have a 14-13 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 6-8.

The Sabres come in with an over/under record of 19-25-1. Over the course of the season, they have had 26 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.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Defensively, the Lightning come into the season ranked 17th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 29.9 shots per game against Tampa Bay. For the season, they are ranked 6th in shutouts, coming in with 3 shutouts.

Buffalo Team Defense

Defensively, the Sabres come into the season ranked 23rd in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 29.1 shots per game against Buffalo. For the season, they are ranked 10th in shutouts, coming in with 3 shutouts.

Lightning vs Sabres Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, Tampa Bay has an puck line mark of 2-8. Their straight up record in these matchups was 4-6 while averaging 2 goals per game.
• When looking at their past five home matchups, Buffalo has an puck line record of 4-1 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Sabres have a straight up record of 1-4. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 3-2.
• The Lightning have played well in their last three games as the betting favorite, going 3-0 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.

Lightning vs Sabres Prediction

For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Lightning to secure a victory over the Sabres on the road. With the moneyline currently set at -123, I’m locking in my bet on the Lightning straight-up.

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 Lightning victory, this matchup is likely to remain closely contested, and the Sabres should cover the puck line.

With an over/under line sitting at 6.5 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.