The Nashville Predators (18-24-7) travel to face off against the Buffalo Sabres (19-26-5) on Friday, January 31st. This game will be played at KeyBank Center in Buffalo and televised on NHLN. The Predators 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 7:00 ET.
Predators vs Sabres
The Nashville Predators Are Coming Off A Win
Nashville improved to 18-24-7 with a 5-2 win over the Avalanche. The Predators, favored by -1.5 goals, covered the puck line. The total was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 7 goals went over.
After falling behind 1-0 in the second period, the Predators responded with five unanswered goals. Each of Nashville’s five goals came from different players.
The Buffalo Sabres Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Buffalo fell to 19-26-5 after a 2-1 loss to the Red Wings. The Sabres held a 1-0 lead after the first period, but Detroit scored twice in the second to hand Buffalo the defeat.
Entering as underdogs on the puck line, the Sabres failed to cover. The total was set at 6.5 goals, but the teams combined for only 3.
Nashville Offense Breakdown
Nashville’s offense found the net five times in their 5-2 win over the Avalanche, with two of those goals coming on empty nets. The Predators took 25 shots on goal and scored twice on the power play, with Roman Josi netting his first goal of the season on one of those opportunities.
Steven Stamkos added his second goal of the year, while Filip Forsberg scored his 7th, finding the net on an empty net with 1:14 left. Gustav Nyquist followed with his 4th goal, also on an empty net. The Predators had 15 giveaways in the game.
Sabres Offense Breakdown
Buffalo’s offense was limited to just one goal in their 2-1 loss to Detroit. Alex Tuch netted his fifth goal of the season, scoring on a shorthanded opportunity 8:21 into the first period. The Sabres fired 32 shots on goal but couldn’t find the net again.
Buffalo had 13 giveaways and failed to convert on any power play chances. Tuch led the team with five shots on goal, and the Sabres finished the game without any assists.
Nashville Team Defense
Defensively, the Predators will look to build on their last performance, where they allowed just two goals to Colorado. Juuse Saros made 29 saves with a 93.5% save percentage, and Nashville’s defense added 4 takeaways and 23 hits. The first goal they allowed was a power-play goal at 17:06 in the 2nd period, and the second came late in the 3rd, with 2:17 remaining.
Buffalo Team Defense
Buffalo’s defense started strong, keeping Detroit off the board in the first period, but they allowed two power-play goals in the second, leading to a 2-1 loss. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, and the Sabres’ defense added 5 takeaways and 17 hits.
Predators vs Sabres Trends
- When looking at their past five road matchups, Nashville has an puck line record of 2-3 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
- In their last ten games at home, the Sabres have a straight up record of 4-6 while going 5-5 vs. the spread. The team averaged 3 goals per game in this stretch.
- Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Sabres have a straight up record of 2-3. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 3-2.
- The last three games that Nashville was favored, they have an puck line mark of 0-3 while going 1-2 straight up.
Predators vs Sabres Prediction
When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Sabres to defeat the Predators while playing at home. Given the current moneyline odds at +102, I’m placing a wager on the Sabres to win outright.
Our projections have the Sabres pulling out a win as the underdog. But if you’re not as bullish as we are on the Sabres, we’d recommend at least getting a bet down on them to cover the puck line.
If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 6 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet 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.
Last updated:January 31, 2025 Predators, Sabres