The Buffalo Sabres (11-16-4) travel to face off against the Montreal Canadiens (11-16-3) on Tuesday, December 17th. This game will be played at Bell Centre in Montreal and televised on ESPN+. Both the Sabres and Canadiens will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 ET.

Sabres vs Canadiens

The Buffalo Sabres Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Buffalo’s 2-1 loss to the Red Wings dropped their record to 11-16-4. The Sabres had the early lead with a short-handed goal from Alex Tuch at 11:39 in the first period, but the Red Wings 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. As underdogs on the puck line, Buffalo failed to cover. All of the Sabres’ 1 goal came in the first period.

The Montreal Canadiens Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Montreal’s 3-1 road loss to the Penguins dropped them to 11-16-3 this season. The Canadiens were underdogs on the puck line and the total was set at 6.5 goals, with the combined score of 4 falling short of that mark.

After falling behind 2-0, Montreal got on the board with a goal from Christian Dvorak in the third period. However, the Penguins sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 19:15 in the final period.

Buffalo Offense Breakdown

Buffalo’s offense managed just one goal in their 2-1 loss to Detroit. Alex Tuch scored his 5th goal of the season, coming on a shorthanded opportunity at 8:21 in the first period. The Sabres fired 32 shots on goal but were unable to convert on any of their 13 giveaways.

After Tuch’s early goal, the Sabres were held scoreless for the remainder of the game. They failed to capitalize on any power play opportunities, finishing with no assists in the contest.

Canadiens Offense Breakdown

Montreal’s offense struggled in their 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh, managing just one goal from Christian Dvorak, his first of the season. The Canadiens took 26 shots on goal but were unable to find the net until the third period, when Dvorak scored at 14:28.

Montreal recorded 20 giveaways and failed to convert on any power play opportunities. Emil Heineman picked up his first assist of the season on Dvorak’s goal, while Juraj Slafkovsky added his seventh assist.

Buffalo Team Defense

Buffalo’s defense gave up two goals, both in the second period, after the Sabres had taken a 1-0 lead. Both goals came on the power play for the Red Wings, the first at 12:11 in the second period and the second at 5:22. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage. Defensively, the Sabres had 5 takeaways and 17 hits.

Montreal Team Defense

Montreal’s defense gave up the first two goals in their recent game against the Penguins, one at 15:57 in the first period and another at 18:40 in the second. They also allowed an empty-net goal with 45 seconds left in the third. Goalie Sam Montembeault made 21 saves, finishing with a 91.3% save percentage. The Canadiens’ defense recorded 4 takeaways and 28 hits.

Sabres vs Canadiens Trends

• When looking at their past ten road matchups, Buffalo has an puck line record of 5-5 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 5-5 overall in these games.
• In their last five games at home, the Canadiens have a straight up record of 3-2 while going 2-3 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 2 goals per game in these contests.
• Looking back on the team’s last three games as the underdog, the Canadiens have a straight up record of 0-3. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 0-3.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Sabres have gone 3-7 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 6-4.

Sabres vs Canadiens Prediction

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Canadiens to defeat the Sabres while playing at home. Given the current moneyline odds at +107, I’m placing a wager on the Canadiens to win outright.

If you’re looking to get a bet down on this matchup, we foresee the Canadiens winning the underdog. However, if you’re not as confident in the Canadiens 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 6 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.