A light slate of NHL odds today means we have to give more attention to a Buffalo Sabres/Seattle Kraken game than we probably should, because, well, neither team is particularly good.
The Sabres have shown a little spunk and are sniffing around a wild-card spot, but there's a lot of ground (and teams) for them to cover down the stretch and they didn't help their cause by laying an egg against one of the teams they're chasing this weekend.
Meanwhile, Seattle is firmly "on to next year," making this game one that could be kind of rough to watch in its entirety — but what if my NHL picks focus only on the opening 20 minutes?
Come along, friends, as I discuss my Sabres vs. Kraken predictions for tonight, with a quick-and-dirty first-period bet that gets us in and out before our eyes start to bleed.
Sabres vs Kraken odds
Sabres vs Kraken predictions
Let's get right to it: I'm taking the first-period total Under as this should be a snoozer based on both the schedule spot and the current skill being "displayed" by these two clubs.
The Buffalo Sabres had won three straight at home, getting a jolt of life from the trade deadline addition of defenseman Bowen Byram and giving some faint hope they could make a late run to leapfrog a handful of bad teams and catch the freefalling Red Wings for the final playoff spot.
The "won at home" is worth noting... because they went to Detroit on Saturday and got dumped 4-1, marking their third straight road loss and fourth in their last five away games.
Buffalo also scored two or fewer total goals in four of those road contests, and with this being somewhat of a cross-country trek for tonight's game, there could be some sluggish legs early to compound this team's road-scoring woes.
Not to be outdone, the Seattle Kraken have been able to kick back at home — with tonight marking their final game of a five-game homestand — and they've taken full advantage to do nothing but utterly stink.
Seattle has lost all four of those games — and five straight overall on home ice — failing to tally multiple goals four times. It's not like the Kraken have been unlucky either, with just 11.03 total expected goals (per Moneypuck) from those games, and just one sole first-period goal (courtesy of an opponent) in that 100 minutes of opening-period play.
I don't expect this to be pretty, hence I'm shying away from betting any NHL player props, but there is always some beauty to be found in something ugly... in this case, it's the beauty of only having to cheer for 20 minutes of nothingness before being free to watch your other (hopefully more exciting) wagers.
My best bet: First period Under 1.5 (-125 at PROLINE+)
Sabres vs Kraken same-game parlay
Under 5.5
Kraken moneyline
If I'm expecting a low-event first period, it's not a stretch to expect a low-scoring game overall; considering the Sabres are averaging 2.13 goals per game on the road since February 1 (31st in the league), while the Kraken are dead-last with 2.20 goals on home ice and 31st in overall scoring during that same span.
As for who wins... I mean, somebody has to right? Buffalo is the better team on paper, but a young roster that struggles on the road is nothing new — combined with the tougher travel spot — pushes me to lean toward the home Kraken, who should stink less than their opponent tonight.
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Sabres vs Kraken moneyline and Over/Under analysis
This opened basically as a pick'em, with early movement also supporting Seattle, who has moved to a slight favorite in the -115 to -125 range.
Both teams enter this game with troubling trends (Buffalo struggling on the road and Seattle sucking it up at Climate Pledge Arena) but this is just the fourth time the Kraken have been favored since mid-February: They were home chalk against Detroit, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, and Washington... all of which are currently higher in the standings than Buffalo (but this is among the shortest ML prices of those games).
As for the total? Well, neither team can score, so a 5.5 line feels correct.
Sabres vs Kraken betting trend to know
The Kraken have covered the first period puck line in 60 of their last 94 games (+13.3 units). Find more NHL betting trends for Sabres vs. Kraken.
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Sabres vs Kraken game info
| Location: | Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA |
| Date: | Monday, March 18, 2024 |
| Puck drop: | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | MSG-Buffalo, ROOT-NW |
Sabres vs Kraken latest injuries
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