Sabres vs. Flyers Odds
| Sabres Odds | -110 |
| Flyers Odds | -110 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 -138 / +112 |
After an impressive win on Sunday, the Buffalo Sabres head to Broad Street to take on the Philadelphia Flyers.
It seems like Buffalo has had a hard time getting into a rhythm while trading wins and losses these past seven games.
The Flyers are in a similar position as their opponents after starting the season 3-1. They’ve managed to lose four of their last five games, so a breakout is due.
Here’s a look at the odds, as well as my betting prediction, pick and preview for the Buffalo Sabres vs. Philadelphia Flyers tonight.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres have a deep roster with high-end talent from top to bottom.
Jeff Skinner has proven that his slump two years ago was simply an aberration, and Rasmus Dahlin has solidified himself as an elite defenseman.
Casey Mittelstadt is also finally producing at a high rate while both Dylan Cozens and Tage Thompson are lethal scoring threats at all times.
But on both ends, Buffalo has been in the middle of the pack. Even with their weapons, the Sabres have played only to a 49.13 Expected Goals For Percentage (xGF%) and don’t generate a ton of High-Danger Chances.
Defensively, they’ve been about the same, playing to a 2.55 xGA/60.
Similarly, the power play has been quite ineffective so far this season; they’re typically near the top. They’ve scored only at a 10.7% clip, which is unlike them. Luckily, the penalty kill has helped carry the burden by succeeding 89% of the time.
Buffalo’s three-man goaltender room is certainly a storyline to keep an eye on. Devon Levi has been out with an injury but practiced yesterday. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Eric Comrie have also split starts.
If I had to guess, Comrie may get the nod since Luukkonen started on Sunday. Comrie has been serviceable with a .914 Save Percentage (SV%) and +1.5 Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx).
Philadelphia Flyers
At the start of the season, many people considered the Flyers a surprise team, but after this stretch, it’s hard to tell.
Coach John Tortorella always has his team ready to run through a brick wall, so there’s no denying that this team competes.
Travis Konecny continues to build his impressive portfolio while Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson are having revelation seasons after being riddled with injuries.
The Flyers play to an impressive 55.1 xGF% and are a top-five team in High-Danger Chances. Along with that, they’re strong on the defensive end as they have played to a 2.41 xGA/60.
However, the Flyers need to improve on special teams. Even though they’re great at even strength, they’re still figuring out their power play as they are only scoring 12.5% of the time.
Along with that, their penalty kill has only succeeded at a 76% clip, including two consecutive games with a power-play goal allowed.
This season, it looks like Carter Hart will need to take on the bulk of the starts in net. Backup Samuel Ersson has been unreliable in two starts, so for a game like this, Hart is most likely the guy. After a few rough years, Hart has bounced back and played to his potential with a .921 SV% and a +1.9 GSAx.
Sabres vs. Flyers
Betting Pick & Prediction
The Sabres entered the season with high expectations because they're an exciting team armed with scoring weapons and stout defensemen. However, it’s been a mediocre start to the season, and Sabres fans are begging for a winning streak.
Philly, on the other hand, had few expectations, but boy do the Flyers compete.
They’ve been metric darlings because they play the right way at both ends of the ice, but their special teams have failed them. I expect any of Philly's opportunities on the power play to get stifled by Buffalo’s strong penalty kill.
This is also the perfect chance for the Sabres to get off the power-play schneid because the Flyers’ penalty kill has been mediocre at best.
I like the Sabres on the moneyline here as I’m banking on their talent. There’s a chance that this could go to overtime, which is why I’m not going for a 60-minute moneyline bet.
Buffalo at -115 is decent value, but since these teams are similar, that number could lower as the day goes on.
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