You may very well look at the NHL calendar on any given day and see a couple of games that you don’t really think are worth watching. While these games may feature teams that are not in the playoff mix, they may still represent a solid betting opportunity when you start to look at the trends. You may also be missing out on a couple of teams that are in a transition phase, and who are starting to make a move in the right direction. The Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes are a pair of teams that perfectly fit that bill, and they will hook up in Raleigh on Tuesday night for a game that is essentially meaningless to the standings, but which may well present a couple of pretty good betting options for NHL fans. You can keep up to date with all the odds for this one by heading over to the MyBookie NHL betting page.

Back to practice. At Carolina tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/wpROZg3meK

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 21, 2016

Buffalo at Carolina NHL Betting Prediction

When: Tuesday, March 22 at 7 PM EST Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh TV: MSGB and FSS Radio: Buffalo and Carolina Live Stream: NHL.tv NHL Odds: TBA

Why Bet on the Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres (29-34-10) are probably a little further along than most people expected them to be at this stage of the season. While they have no shot at getting into the postseason, they have proven to be a very difficult team to take down. The biggest issue for the Sabres this year has been putting the puck in the back of the net on a consistent basis, and it is that which has cost them a number of close games. Rookie Jack Eichel has been very much as advertised, and is a huge piece that the Sabres can build around as they move forward. Buffalo comes into this game with a shot at sweeping the season series over Carolina, whilst also extending their winning streak over the Hurricanes to 4 games. Buffalo are averaging 2.3 GPG, and are giving up 2.6 GPG.

Why Bet on the Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes (31-27-14) are a team built from a very similar mold to that of the Sabres. They are a team that is very tough to beat, and who are never really out of any game they play. Proof of that can be seen by looking at their last 7 games, 6 of which have ended in OT or via a shootout. The fact that they only managed to pick up the extra point in 2 of those 6 games shows that this Hurricanes team is lacking a little in the killer instinct department. This is a team that is also in transition, and who may also be considered a little ahead of schedule at this time. Carolina are 17-12-6 at home this season, but have had their struggles against the Sabres. The Hurricanes are averaging 2.4 GPG, and are giving up 2.7 GPG.

Expert Betting Pick and Final Score Prediction

As I see it, there are a couple of good betting opportunities to be had here. I like the Sabres to come away with the straight up win, and I also like the UNDER if you can get the total at 5.5 goals. Buffalo Sabres 3 Carolina Hurricanes 2