Major advantage to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday when they host the Ottawa Senators as Buffalo is extremely well-rested while Ottawa is playing its second game in 24 hours. The Sabres will be sizable favorites on the NHL odds.
How to Bet Senators vs Sabres 2020 NHL Odds, Preview & Pick
- When: Tuesday, 7 PM ET
- Where: KeyBank Center
- TV: NHL Center Ice
- Stream: NHL.tv
- Radio: Ottawa / Buffalo
- Opening NHL Lines: Sabres -1.5
Why Bet on Ottawa?
The Senators aren’t very good but do own a win over Buffalo this season, taking a 3-1 home decision on Dec. 23. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored two goals, while Brady Tkachuk had a goal and two assists. Craig Anderson stopped 43 shots. Anderson made two great saves to keep the lead, including one on Evan Rodrigues while sprawled on his back. Tkachuk added an empty-net goal to ensure the victory.
“He looked really confident,” said Senators coach D.J. Smith. “He held us in the game and made the saves he needed to make.”
With the game tied 1-all, Pageau scored his second of the game, taking a drop pass from Connor Brown and breaking in on Linus Ullmark. The Sabres goalie made the initial save before Pageau pounced on the rebound of a shot by Tkachuk and scored on a backhander.
Should be Anderson in net Tuesday. Blueliner Christian Wolanin has been practicing with the Senators, as he recovers from a torn labrum. Wolanin was injured just before training camp and he has been recovering from surgery over the course of the 2019-20 campaign. He is expected to be assigned to Belleville of the AHL once he’s cleared to play again.
Winger Nick Paul (ankle) skated before practice on Sunday and he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery. It was originally believed that Paul could miss six weeks after he suffered a high-ankle sprain on Jan. 7 against Washington. “It’s a tough injury," Smith said. "When you start skating with the team and you really go 100 percent, you find out if you’re ready or not.”
Fellow winger Bobby Ryan (personal) was on the ice before Ottawa’s practice on Sunday afternoon. Ryan went into the NHL/NHLPA’s player assistance program on Nov. 20 and there’s no timetable for a return to the lineup.
Center Filip Chlapik has been promoted from the minors by Ottawa. Chlapik has split time between the NHL and AHL this season. He has two goals and three assists in 23 games with Ottawa this year. Chlapik has generated five goals and 14 points over 24 matches with Belleville in 2019-20.
Team Statistics
Offense- Goals: 2.71
- Shots: 29.90
- PP/PK Percentage: 12.84
- Goals: 3.41
- Shots: 33.59
- PP/PK Percentage: 18.67
Why Bet on Buffalo?
The Sabres have been off since losing 2-1 in Nashville on Jan. 18. Craig Smith’s power-play goal with 6:29 remaining in the third period propelled Nashville to the win. With Sabres captain Jack Eichel in the penalty box serving a tripping penalty, Smith redirected Kyle Turris’ shot off the left post, then off of the left leg of Buffalo goaltender Linus Ullmark and into the net for Smith’s 11th goal of the season. The Predators also had the league’s worst penalty kill percentage, but denied Buffalo on all three opportunities in the game.
Sam Reinhart scored his 17th goal of the season in the loss. Reinhart finished with a plus-1 rating and a blocked shot. He has been on fire in the month of January, rolling up five goals and 10 points with a plus-3 rating in eight games. Ullmark allowed the two goals on 37 shots. Ullmark was making his 17th start in the past 19 outings for the Sabres, as head coach Ralph Krueger continues to lean heavily on the Swedish backstop since veteran Carter Hutton has been terrible. Despite the loss, Ullmark is 16-13-3 with a 2.70 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.
Left wing Jeff Skinner “is a go” for Tuesday’s game against Ottawa, per coach Ralph Krueger. Skinner was on the ice again for Monday’s practice after he joined the team for Sunday’s session. He missed 10 games due to an upper-body injury. He took part in line rushes with Marcus Johansson and Michael Frolik during Monday’s skate. Skinner has 11 goals and 19 points in 39 games this season.
Fellow winger Victor Olofsson is listed as week-to-week. Olofsson has been out of action since Jan. 2 due to a lower-body injury and could be back in mid-February if his initial timetable of five-to-six weeks holds true. The rookie has 16 goals and 35 points in 42 games this campaign. Buffalo’s best player is Jack Eichel, who is on pace to hit the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. Eichel has 28 goals and 62 points in 48 contests. That puts him on pace for 47 goals and 104 points.
Team Statistics
Offense- Goals: 2.96
- Shots: 29.55
- PP/PK Percentage: 19.18
- Goals: 3.10
- Shots: 31.20
- PP/PK Percentage: 24.49
NHL Betting Trends for Senators vs Sabres
- Senators are 1-10 SU in the last 11 games
- The total went OVER in 12 of Ottawa’s last 17 games
- Sabres are 8-3 SU in the last 11 games at home
- The total went UNDER in 13 of Buffalo’s last 19 games against Ottawa
Senators vs Sabres Expert NHL Prediction
Sabres 3, Senators 2
