The Buffalo Sabres (27-33-6) travel to face off against the Utah Hockey Club (30-27-11) on Thursday, March 20th. This game will be played at Delta Center in Salt Lake City and televised on ESPN+. Both the Sabres and Hockey Club will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 9:00 ET.

Sabres vs Hockey Club

The Buffalo Sabres Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Buffalo’s latest loss came against the Red Wings, dropping them to 27-33-6 this season. The Sabres took an early lead with a short-handed goal in the first period, but Detroit responded with two power-play goals in the second to secure a 2-1 victory.

The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, but the teams combined for just 3. Buffalo, as underdogs on the puck line, failed to cover. All of the Sabres’ scoring came from Alex Tuch, who found the net at 11:39 in the first period.

The Utah Hockey Club Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Utah Hockey Club fell to 30-27-11 after a 4-3 loss to the Golden Knights. Utah led 2-0 before giving up four straight goals. As underdogs on the puck line, Utah failed to cover, and the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5.

Logan Cooley scored first for Utah at 11:52 in the first period. They extended their lead to 2-0 at 12:00 in the second, but Vegas responded with four unanswered goals, including the game-winner at 2:15 in overtime.

Buffalo Offense Breakdown

Buffalo’s offense struggled in their 2-1 loss to Detroit, with Alex Tuch scoring their only goal on a shorthanded effort. The Sabres fired 32 shots on goal but were unable to find the net again, marking Tuch’s 5th goal of the season.

Buffalo recorded 13 giveaways and failed to score on any power play opportunities. Tuch took 5 shots on goal, with his goal coming at 8:21 in the first period.

Hockey Club Offense Breakdown

Utah Hockey Club took 19 shots on goal and scored three times in their 4-3 loss to the Golden Knights. Ian Cole netted his first goal of the season, while Logan Cooley added his second and Alexander Kerfoot scored his second of the year.

Cooley also picked up his eighth assist on Cole’s goal, and Nick Bjugstad recorded two assists, bringing his total to two for the season. Utah’s offense was shut out on the power play and had 13 giveaways.

Buffalo Team Defense

Buffalo’s defense gave up two goals to the Red Wings, both coming in the second period on the power play. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage. The Sabres’ defense also recorded 5 takeaways and 17 hits.

Utah Team Defense

Utah’s defense gave up the first goal to Vegas at the 15:06 mark of the 2nd period, and they allowed three more, including the game-winner in overtime. Connor Ingram recorded 31 saves with a save percentage of 88.6%. Utah’s defense also had 8 takeaways and 21 hits.

Sabres vs Hockey Club Trends

• Through their last ten road contests, the Sabres offense has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing an average of 4. Buffalo posted an overall record of 2-8 while going 5-5 ATS.
• Through their last five home games, Utah has an puck line record of just 2-3. However, their overall record was 3-2 while averaging 3 goals per game.
• Going back to their last three games as the underdog, the Hockey Club have a straight up record of 0-3. But, their mark vs the puck line was just 1-2.
• In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Sabres have a straight up record of 4-6 and an puck line mark of 2-8.

Sabres vs Hockey Club Prediction

When making a moneyline pick, my choice is the Sabres to come out with a win against the Hockey Club while playing on the road. Considering the moneyline odds at +145, I’m placing my bet 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.