Sabres vs. Kraken Odds
| Sabres Odds | +140 |
| Kraken Odds | -160 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 |
| Time | 10 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Buffalo Sabres conclude their four-game road trip Thursday when they face the Seattle Kraken. Buffalo needed overtime in its first game of the trek to secure the victory before dropping their following two decisions.
The Sabres will now have to try and pick up the pieces against an upstart Seattle Kraken team.
Buffalo Sabres
After starting the season with four consecutive games featuring an expected goals-for percentage above 60.0% at 5-on-5, the Sabres have followed that up with five consecutive games with percentages below 50.0 percent. These Jekyll-and-Hyde metrics are incompatible with long-term success, and they are at risk of spiraling out of control early this season.
The Sabres have failed to generate any meaningful offense over their recent sample, attempting more than nine high-danger chances at 5-on-5 just once over their past five games and attempting no more than 23 scoring chances. It's somewhat surprising to see the Sabres be as successful as they have been, scoring 15 goals over that five-game span, but that's also reflected in their above-average PDO of 1.030.
Buffalo has reached a tipping point in its season where it will enter a correction phase, while production balances with output. That could hit the Sabres harder than anticipated against a surprisingly efficient Kraken squad.
Seattle Kraken
The Kraken might have lost their most recent game, but better teams than them have faltered against the Edmonton Oilers. Seattle continues to have advanced metrics on its side and its record should start to reflect the on-ice product.
Seattle is leaning into its defense early this season, limiting six of its first 10 opponents to nine or fewer high-danger chances across all strengths. That defense has been even more suffocating at 5-on-5, as the Kraken have allowed four or fewer such opportunities in four of their past five games.
The Kraken have paired that smothering defense with a high-octane offense that continues to produce quality chances, night after night. The league's newest franchise has attempted 53 high-danger opportunities at 5-on-5 and 64 across all strengths, out-chancing each of its past five opponents.
Sabres vs. Kraken Pick
The wins haven't started piling up for the Kraken yet, but good results will follow these types of efforts. Conversely, the Sabres metrics are trending down after an inflated output period.
The Kraken are moderate home favorites but are worth backing into the -175 range.
Pick: Seattle ML (-160)
