The Buffalo Sabres (11-14-4) travel to face off against the Washington Capitals (20-6-2) on Saturday, December 14th. This game will be played at Capital One Arena in Washington and televised on ESPN+. Both the Sabres and Capitals will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 ET.

Sabres vs Capitals

The Buffalo Sabres Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Buffalo fell to 11-14-4 after a 2-1 loss to the Red Wings. The Sabres took an early lead with a short-handed goal, but Detroit responded with two power-play goals in the second period. Buffalo, the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover. The total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score reached only 3.

Alex Tuch scored the lone goal for the Sabres at 11:39 in the first period. Buffalo had 32 shots on goal but couldn’t find the net again. The Sabres’ defense allowed 23 shots, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen making 21 saves.

The Washington Capitals Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Washington’s 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes brought their record to 20-6-2. The Capitals held a 2-1 lead after the first period, but Carolina scored three unanswered goals, including one with just nine seconds left, to seal the game.

Going into the game, the total was set at 6 goals, and the combined score hit that number exactly. Washington, as the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover. Both of their goals came in the first period, with Alex Ovechkin tying the game at 19:16 and Brandon Duhaime giving them the lead at 19:49.

Buffalo Offense Breakdown

Buffalo managed 32 shots on goal but came up short in their 2-1 loss to Detroit. Alex Tuch netted his 5th goal of the season, scoring shorthanded at 8:21 in the first period.

The Sabres had 13 giveaways and were unable to convert on any power play opportunities. Tuch took 5 shots on goal, and his goal was the only one for Buffalo in the game.

Capitals Offense Breakdown

Alex Ovechkin netted his 7th goal of the season, scoring on a power play just 44 seconds into the game. Brandon Duhaime followed with his 2nd goal, coming with only 11 seconds left in the 1st period.

The Capitals took 21 shots on goal and recorded 15 giveaways. Dylan Strome picked up his 13th assist on Ovechkin’s goal, while John Carlson added his 7th assist.

Buffalo Team Defense

On the defensive side, Buffalo took a 1-0 lead into the 2nd period, but they gave up two power-play goals to Detroit in the 2nd, leading to a 2-1 loss. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage. The Sabres’ defense also had 5 takeaways and 17 hits.

Washington Team Defense

Defensively, the Capitals will look to bounce back after giving up 4 goals to the Hurricanes, including 3 unanswered. They allowed two goals in the 2nd period and another in the 3rd. Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves with a 93.2% save percentage, but the defense gave up 44 shots on goal. They also had 16 blocks and 2 takeaways.

Sabres vs Capitals Trends

• Through their last three road contests, the Sabres offense has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing an average of 2. Buffalo posted an overall record of 2-1 while going 1-2 ATS.
• Through their last three home contests, the Capitals offense has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing an average of 3. Washington posted an overall record of 1-2 while going 1-2 ATS.
• Washington has done well both straight up and vs the puck line when favored to win the game, going 3-0 SU and 3-0 puck line in their last three games.
• Through their previous five contests as the betting favorite, the Sabres have a strong record of 3-2. Their record vs the puck line in these matchups is 1-4.

Sabres vs Capitals Prediction

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Sabres to defeat the Capitals while playing on the road. Given the current moneyline odds at +157, I’m placing a wager 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 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.