The Montreal Canadiens travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Thursday, Jan. 30. Buffalo beat Montreal in the last matchup. Will the Sabres prove best again? Or, will the Canadiens find a way to get an away victory? Check out the NHL odds, a preview and a free pick for Canadiens vs Sabres!
Canadiens vs Sabres 2020 NHL Lines, Game Info & Analysis
- When: Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7:00 pm ET
- Where: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
- TV: ESPN
- Moneyline Odds: Canadiens -110 / Sabres -110
- Over/Under Odds: 6
Why the Montreal Canadiens are a good bet to win -110?
Montreal is one of those NHL teams that perform best on opposing ice. The Canadiens are 10-13-4-0 at home. They’ve got a 12-9-2-1 record on the road. Although Buffalo did beat Montreal in the last head-to-head, the Sabres didn’t dominate. At the final whistle, the score was Buffalo 5 and Montreal 4. If the Canadiens can play better defence, they can turn the tables on the Sabres.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Goals For: 3.0
- Shots For: 34.9
- Power Plays: 20.1%
- Face-Offs: 50.6%
- Goals Against: 3.1
- Shots Against: 31.8
- Penalty Kills: 78.7%
- Shutouts: 0
Why the Buffalo Sabres are a good bet to win -110?
Most expect a tough game. If it is a tough matchup, the Sabres have the edge. Buffalo’s home record is 14-7-2-1. Even though they’re just 3-2 SU in their last 5 home games, the 3 wins impressed: 4-2 against Vegas and 3-2 versus Florida and Edmonton. There’s a good chance the Sabres bounce back after the 2-5 loss to Ottawa a couple of days ago. NHL handicappers can expect Buffalo to do something special on Thursday night.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Goals For: 2.9
- Shots For: 29.6
- Power Plays: 19.2%
- Face-Offs: 45.4%
- Goals Against: 3.1
- Shots Against: 31.2
- Penalty Kills: 75.3%
- Shutouts: 2
NHL Betting Trends for Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres
- Canadiens are 4-10 in their last 10
- Montreal is 1-5 in their last 6 versus the Atlantic
- Canadiens are 1-4 in the last 5 meetings
- Sabres are 2-7 in their last 9 versus the Atlantic
- Buffalo is 1-5 in their last 6 following a home loss of 3 or more goals
- Sabres are 0-5 in their last 5 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game
- Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings
- Under is 5-1-1 in the Canadiens last 7
Canadiens vs Sabres NHL Betting Analysis
The odds reflect how difficult this game is to handicap. The Canadiens and Sabres are so similar we might as well throw a dart and back the team where the dart lands closest too. But although we must dig to find which squad has the edge, all is not lost.
Two weeks ago, the Sabres were on a 3-match winning streak. They beat Detroit 5-1, Vegas 4-2, and Dallas 4-1. Buffalo’s 2-5 loss to the Ottawa Senators in their last is more an anomaly than reality. Although the Sabres should bounce back with a better performance here, they’re not the pick.
Buffalo’s got a couple of problems heading into this matchup. First, Montreal is a great road team. The Canadiens love to play on the road. They relax and make much better decisions. Second, the Sabres lost starting goalie Linus Ullmark on Jan 29. Ullmark is on IR with a right leg injury. Expect the Canadiens to take advantage. Back Montreal.
NHL Free Pick: Montreal Canadiens -110
