Hurricanes vs Sabres Prediction & Picks (Feb. 1): Can Buffalo Derail Carolina’s Momentum?

The Carolina Hurricanes aim to extend their winning ways to seven games when they pay a visit to the surging Buffalo Sabres. Carolina already picked up a 5-3 victory over Buffalo at PNC Arena back in November, leaving time to tell how the next Hurricanes vs Sabres showdown will unfold.

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Sabres can leap the Penguins into the second wild card spot with a win over the Hurricanes. https://t.co/z0zszJ4Ztf

— Jourdon LaBarber (@JourdonLaBarber) February 1, 2023

The Hurricanes’ winning streak was put in jeopardy Tuesday in their home game against the Los Angeles Kings. Carolina trailed 4-1 heading into the third period, only to score three unanswered goals to tie it up before Sebastian Aho won it in overtime with his 22nd goal of the 2022-23 NHL season.

Meanwhile, the Sabres have some momentum of their own as they ride into tonight’s action on a seven-game point streak. They had won five straight games, however, a 3-2 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday put a stop to that. It remains to be seen if the three days of rest help the Sabres get back on track ahead of the NHL All-Star Break.

There are a plethora of betting opportunities heading into tonight’s Hurricanes vs Sabres collision. Here’s a look at BetOnline Sportsbook’s latest odds for the game, as well as a prediction and the best bet to make, courtesy of Betting News.

Carolina Hurricanes vs Buffalo Sabres Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Carolina Hurricanes (33-9-8, 16-4-6 Away) vs. Buffalo Sabres (26-19-4, 11-12-2 Home)
• Venue & Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, New York)
• Date: Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023
• Game Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
• Hurricanes vs Sabres TV Info: TNT

Hurricanes vs Sabres Leafs Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 10:38 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Carolina Hurricanes -1.5 (+160)
• Buffalo Sabres +1.5 (-200)

Over/Under

• Over 6.5 Goals (-115)
• Under 6.5 Goals (-105)

Moneyline

• Carolina Hurricanes -152
• Buffalo Sabres +126

Hurricanes vs Sabres Betting Trends

• Carolina is 13-1 straight up in its last 14 games against Buffalo.
• Buffalo is 2-4 straight up in its last six home games.
• The total has hit the over in six of Carolina’s last seven road games.
• The total has hit the over in 15 of Buffalo’s last 20 games against the Metropolitan Division.
• The total has hit the over in eight of the last 10 Carolina-Buffalo matchups.

Hurricanes vs Sabres Prediction and Picks

Hurricanes vs Sabres Prediction: Hurricanes 5, Sabres 3

Hurricanes vs Sabres Best Bets: Hurricanes ML (Best Value: -152 at BetOnline) & Over 6.5 Goals (Best Value: -115 at BetOnline)

A matchup with the Hurricanes is something that Sabres fans tend to dread. After all, Carolina has won 13 of its last 14 games against Buffalo dating back to the 2016-17 campaign.

Recent history shows that the Hurricanes turn up the offense whenever they face Sabres, scoring at least four goals in nine of the last 10 meetings. There’s a good chance the offense will continue flowing considering how Carolina averages 3.30 goals per game (No. 11) and has scored at least four goals five times during its six-game streak.

Having said that, this season’s Sabres aren’t exactly pushovers. For starters, they’re pacing the NHL with 3.76 goals per game heading into tonight’s contest. A lot of Buffalo’s offense stems from Tage Thompson, who has 21 goals and 21 assists in his last 30 games.

Thompson is also in the Hart Memorial Trophy conversation for the league’s MVP, sitting with the fifth-best odds (+3000) on BetOnline Sportsbook.

The Sabres also have secondary threats like Alex Tuch, Jeff Skinner and Victor Olofsson, who have also surpassed the 20-goal mark this season.

The Hurricanes are a deep team too, though. Aho and Martin Necas have 22 and 21 goals, respectively, while Andre Svechnikov isn’t too far behind with 19 of his own.

In a game where both sides have solid offensive depth, it could come down to whichever goaltender makes more key saves. If that’s the case, I’m siding with the Hurricanes since Antti Raanta will likely be starting for them after Frederik Andersen played the Kings last night.

Raanta is 5-0-1 in his last six appearances with a 1.71 goals-against average (GAA), .925 save percentage (SV%) and two shutouts. He’s also picked up victories in five of his last six starts against Buffalo, tallying a 2.34 GAA and .913 SV% over that stretch.

Meanwhile, Daily Faceoff says that it’s “likely” that Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will start for the Sabres. While the Finnish netminder has been solid at times this season, he owns a 3.05 GAA in his last nine games, finishing with a sub-.900 SV% in four of those contests.

I predict that the Hurricanes will capitalize on the Sabres’ inconsistent goaltending, leading to the former picking up the victory. Carolina is also no stranger to winning in Buffalo, winning in five of its last six trips to KeyBank Center. In other words, I have no issues backing the Hurricanes as the -152 moneyline favorite.

I’m also backing the total going over 6.5 goals. In addition to Carolina and Buffalo boasting top-11 offenses, the total has gone over in eight of the last 10 Hurricanes vs Sabres matchups. Considering how they combined for more than 6.5 goals in four of the last five meetings, viewers should brace themselves for a high-scoring affair.

Other Carolina vs Buffalo Betting Resources

• Hurricanes vs Sabres Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats

Other NHL Articles on Betting News (Feb. 1)

• Bruins vs Maple Leafs Prediction & Picks (Feb. 1): Can Toronto Add to Boston’s Losing Streak?