Two teams battling for a wild card position in the Eastern Conference are set to face off tonight, with the New York Islanders hosting the Buffalo Sabres.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Buffalo Sabres (+138) vs. New York Islanders (-166) Total: 6.5 (O+100, U-122)The Islanders have played three more games than the Sabres, but they also have a four-point edge in the standings. Buffalo is set to play for the second consecutive night after dropping a game at home to the Edmonton Oilers yesterday. This will be the second of three meetings between these clubs, which has already seen the Sabres post a 3-2 victory near the end of January. The Islanders are listed as the favorites on the moneyline tonight at -166, while the Sabres are priced at +138.
Buffalo has been playing some solid hockey and posted a 6-4 record over their past ten games, while the Islanders are sitting at 5-2-3 over that same sample size. With so much on the line in a matchup like this, there are certainly areas we can look at to find some value.
Looking toward the projected goalie matchup tonight, the visiting Sabres are expected to start Eric Comrie, while the Islanders should be countering with Ilya Sorokin. The Sabres netminder has posted an 8-8 record, paired with a .885 save percentage, while Sorokin has continued to be a massive reason for the Islanders’ success, owning a 21-18-6 record, along with a .926 save percentage. With that, it’s evident that the Islanders should have a sizable edge in net.
With New York holding a substantial edge in goal and the Sabres playing for the second night in a row, it’s hard to look away from the home side tonight. The Isle needs this victory because of the games in hand Buffalo has, and they should be able to generate success in this pivotal matchup.
Best Bet: Islanders moneyline (-166)
This is the type of matchup where the teams are considered polar opposites. The Sabres score at the third-highest clip in the NHL, while the Islanders are in the bottom third of the league. On the other hand, New York sits fifth in goals allowed per game, while the Sabres are all the way in 25th. Over Buffalo’s past five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored in four, while the Islanders have not seen that over their past five games. With the recent trends the Isles have shown us, and since we’re siding with them tonight, we’re looking at a lower-scoring affair like we saw earlier this year.
Best Bet: Under 6.5 (-122)
There certainly hasn’t been much to write home about offensively for the Islanders, but they still have some value players that warrant consideration in tonight’s nice matchup. Brock Nelson has continued to be an integral part of what this team wants to do on offense, and he’s already managed to tally 61 points in 65 games, including 27 goals. Nelson should be able to create offense in this type of matchup against a Sabres squad that struggles to keep pucks out of their net. He’s priced at +200 to score tonight, and there’s direct value in that price point.
Best Prop: Brock Nelson to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+200)
