The Carolina Hurricanes have been playing much better hockey of late, but they will be at an NHL betting disadvantage on Friday when they host the Buffalo Sabres as the Canes will be playing the second of a back-to-back. Always dangerous to bet on an NHL team in that scenario.
How to Bet Sabres at Hurricanes NHL Week 15 Odds & Game Info
Some new lines debuted today.
They could be 🔥🔥 @duffersabres has a look. pic.twitter.com/A7s61ycmzg — Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) 10 de enero de 2019
- When: Friday, 7:30 PM ET
- Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh
- TV: NHL Center Ice
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
- Radio: TuneIn
- NHL Week 15 Odds: TBA
Why Bet on Buffalo?
The Sabres were one of the huge surprises of the early season at 17-6-2 but have slowed a bit since then. They do come off a 5-1 home win over New Jersey on Tuesday. Jeff Skinner had a great goal. The 26-year-old winger took the puck in the neutral zone from Tage Thompson, skating down the wing before firing off a hard and accurate wrister from the bottom of the left circle to beat Keith Kinkaid. It was Skinner’s 29th goal of the season, giving him 42 points in 43 games this season.
Casey Mittelstadt, Jake McCabe, Lawrence Pilut and C.J. Smith also scored in the win. Pilut scored his first NHL goal. The Sabres scored five straight vs. New Jersey. Pilut scored the team’s fifth goal during a big second period. He also picked up 10 penalty minutes for an altercation with Miles Wood late in the third frame. Smith also got his first NHL goal. He ended up with the game-winner when he scored at the 4:14 mark of the second period.
It was the Sabres’ first five-goal period since they had five in the third of a 5-1 win over Carolina on Nov. 28, 2009. With the victory, the Sabres improved to 23-14-6 with 52 points and are two wins away from matching last season’s total.
Zemgus Girgensons (upper body) returned to action Tuesday. Girgenssons was scoreless with a plus-1 rating, one shot and a blocked shot over 14:41 of ice time across 16 shifts in his first game action since Dec. 27 after battling an upper-body injury.
Carter Hutton stopped 20 shots. Hutton was beaten on a redirect in tight during the opening period, but when perfect the rest of the way. Hutton is now 14-12-3 with a 2.57 goals-against-average and a .918 save percentage.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 2.91
- Shots: 32.14
- PP/PK Percentage: 18.46
Defense
- Goals: 2.81
- Shots: 33.16
- PP/PK Percentage: 15.87
Why Bet on Carolina?
The Hurricanes aren’t very good but entered Thursday’s game at league-leading Tampa Bay on a season-high five-game winning streak. Surely that will have ended.
The most encouraging aspect of the streak? The Canes feel as though they aren’t even playing their best hockey. “We’re finding ways to win games. That’s what good teams do,” captain Justin Williams said. “Hopefully we’ll wind it up and be better next game.”
All 19 skaters who have dressed for the team in the last five games have recorded at least a point, and All-Star Sebastian Aho leads the pack with six points (1g, 5a) in that stretch. During the streak, the Canes have produced at nearly a 42 percent clip on the power play (5-for-12) and have outscored their opponents, 21-13.
Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin scored a power-play goal against the Islanders earlier this week, becoming the 14th defenseman in franchise history to reach the 100-point mark in his career. The Hurricanes have been playing without veteran center Jordan Staal, so they are relying on guys recently recalled from the AHL.
It should be Curtis McElhinney in net for this one. McElhinney allowed three goals on 31 shots in Tuesday’s 4-3 win over the Islanders. McElhinney was beaten by a perfect Brock Nelson shot off a Hurricanes turnover before Devon Toews beat him in the third through traffic. The 35-year-old goaltender continues to put in solid outings in net. He’s 10-5-1 with a 2.25 goals-against-average and a .922 save percentage.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 2.63
- Shots: 36.07
- PP/PK Percentage: 16.44
Defense
- Goals: 2.88
- Shots: 28.21
- PP/PK Percentage: 19.85
Sabres vs Hurricanes NHL Betting Trends
- Over is 8-1-1 in the last 10 meetings in Carolina
- Buffalo is 12-1 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
- Buffalo is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Buffalo’s last 7 games on the road
- Carolina is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
- Carolina is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Carolina’s last 14 games at home
Expert NHL Betting Prediction for Sabres vs Hurricanes
Buffalo ends that six-game skid in series.
