The Buffalo Sabres (11-19-4) travel to face off against the New York Islanders (13-14-7) on Monday, December 23rd. This game will be played at UBS Arena in Elmont and televised on ESPN+. Both the Sabres and Islanders will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 ET.

Sabres vs Islanders

The Buffalo Sabres Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Buffalo dropped to 11-19-4 after a 2-1 loss to the Red Wings. The Sabres took an early lead with a short-handed goal from Alex Tuch, but Detroit responded with two power-play goals in the second period.

The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, but the teams combined for just 3. Buffalo, as the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover. This loss added to their struggles this season.

The New York Islanders Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Islanders fell to 13-14-7 after a 5-2 loss to the Rangers. Entering the game as underdogs on the puck line, the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.

New York trailed 2-0 before Casey Cizikas scored at 15:22 in the second period. The Islanders added another goal later in the second, but the Rangers pulled away with two more goals in the third.

Buffalo Offense Breakdown

Buffalo’s offense fired 32 shots on goal but managed just one score in their 2-1 loss to Detroit. Alex Tuch netted his fifth goal of the season, coming shorthanded at 8:21 in the first period.

The Sabres recorded 13 giveaways and were shut out in the second and third periods. Tuch led the team with 5 shots on goal.

Islanders Offense Breakdown

In their 5-2 loss to the Rangers, the Islanders took 37 shots on goal but only found the net twice. Casey Cizikas scored his first goal of the season, while Brock Nelson added his fifth, with just 8 seconds left in the second period.

The Islanders had 23 giveaways and were held scoreless in the first and third periods. They recorded 4 assists, with Simon Holmstrom picking up his fourth of the season.

Buffalo Team Defense

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage for the Sabres, but Buffalo’s defense gave up two power-play goals in the second period, leading to a 2-1 loss to Detroit. The Sabres’ defense finished with 5 takeaways and 17 hits.

New York Team Defense

The Islanders’ defense gave up the first goal just 3:44 into the game and allowed two more in the second period. After cutting the deficit to 3-2, they conceded twice in the third, including an empty-netter. Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves with an 89.7% save percentage, while the defense added 12 takeaways and 17 hits.

Sabres vs Islanders Trends

• Across the Sabres last three road games, the team averaged 1 goals per game while allowing 4. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 0-3, while going 0-3 straight-up.
• Across their five previous home games, New York has an puck line mark of 2-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 3-2 while averaging 3 goals per game.
• Looking back on the team’s last three games as the underdog, the Islanders have a straight up record of 1-2. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 1-2.
• In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Sabres have a straight up record of 0-3 and an puck line mark of 0-3.

Sabres vs Islanders Prediction

For a moneyline pick, I’m taking the Sabres to pick up on a win over the Islanders and the road. With the moneyline sitting at +132, I’ll be locking in a bet on the Sabres straight-up.

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.

For those looking at the over/under line set at 5.5 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.