Rangers vs Sabres Prediction & Picks (March 31): Can Buffalo Win in Devon Levi’s NHL Debut?

The New York Rangers are set to visit the Buffalo Sabres in one of four NHL matchups scheduled for Friday, March 31. The two sides met for just the first time this season back on March 11, resulting in a 2-1 overtime victory for New York. Only time will tell if Buffalo has what it takes to win the latest Rangers vs Sabres matchup.

Sabres' Levi to make 1st NHL start Friday vs. Rangers https://t.co/hI6ITAhwsv pic.twitter.com/URHLGB2t2N

— theScore NHL (@theScoreNHL) March 30, 2023

The Rangers were just in action last night, falling 2-1 to the New Jersey Devils. New York found itself trailing early in the first, but couldn’t do anything to erase the deficit as New Jersey goaltender Vitek Vanecek turned aside 24 of the 25 shots he faced to steal the win.

Meanwhile, the Sabres also tasted defeat in their latest outing — a 4-3 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadians on Monday. Buffalo is in desperate need of a victory if it hopes to keep pace in the Eastern Conference wild card race, so it cannot afford to lose again.

Friday’s Rangers vs Sabres matchup is filled with betting opportunities. The good news is that Betting News has not only gathered the game’s latest odds but also a prediction and the best bet to make.

New York Rangers vs Buffalo Sabres Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: New York Rangers (44-21-10, 22-9-6 Away) vs. Buffalo Sabres (35-31-7, 14-20-4 Home)
• Venue & Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, New York)
• Date: Friday, March 31, 2023
• Game Time: 7 p.m. Eastern Time
• Rangers vs Sabres TV Info: NHL Network

Rangers vs Sabres Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Friday, March 31 at 8:44 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• New York Rangers -1.5 (+158)
• Buffalo Sabres +1.5 (-192)

Over/Under

• Over 6.5 Goals (-130)
• Under 6.5 Goals (+106)

Moneyline

• New York Rangers -144
• Buffalo Sabres +120

Rangers vs Sabres Betting Trends

• The Rangers are 7-2 straight up in their last nine games.
• Buffalo is 3-9 straight up in its last 12 games.
• The total has hit the under in four of the Rangers’ last five road games.
• The total has hit the over in five of Buffalo’s last seven games.
• The total has hit the under in each of the last six Rangers-Sabres matchups at KeyBank Center.

Rangers vs Sabres Game Preview

One of the biggest storylines heading into this game is the debut of Sabres rookie goaltender Devon Levi.

A seventh-round draft pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Levi was traded from the Florida Panthers to the Sabres in the Sam Reinhart deal back in July 2021. He went on to play hockey at Northeastern University, where he earned the reputation of being one of the best netminders outside of the NHL at the moment.

The 21-year-old phenom suited up in 66 games for Northwestern over the last two seasons, going 38-22-6 with a 1.90 goals-against average, .942 save percentage and a whopping 16 shutouts. He picked up several individual accolades over that stretch, including when he was named the 2023 Hockey East Player of the Year.

Unfortunately for Levi, he gets a tough test in the form of the Rangers, who aren’t happy after last night’s loss. They’ll look to rattle the rookie goaltender in his professional debut and they have the tools to do it. After all, the Rangers are averaging 4.11 goals over their last nine games.

Devon Levi when asked about making his first career NHL start against the #Rangers#Sabres @WKBW pic.twitter.com/CY8YIi6RHD

— Dom Tibbetts (@DomTibbettsTV) March 30, 2023

Considering how Mike Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin have combined for 16 goals in the last nine games, the Sabres must do their best to keep the Rangers’ top players off of the scoresheet.

Having said that, the Rangers have had the Sabres’ number over the last few years. New York has won 10 of its last 11 matchups against Buffalo, having not lost to the former since April 2021.

Furthermore, the Rangers have also won six straight games against the Sabres, outscoring them 23-14 over that stretch. What’s even more impressive is that Buffalo was held to exactly one goal in three of those losses.

It’ll be interesting to see if Rangers backup goaltender Jaroslav Halak can keep that trend going. The veteran goalie has been great since the calendar flipped, going 8-2-2 while tallying a 2.43 GAA and .916 SV% with a shutout in 13 appearances since 2023 began.

On top of that, Halak has a 13-4-0 all-time record against Buffalo. Although he hasn’t faced the Sabres in two years, he gives the Rangers a great chance to win even if his best days are behind him.

Rangers vs Sabres Prediction and Picks

Rangers vs Sabres Prediction: Rangers 4, Sabres 2

Rangers vs Sabres: Rangers ML (Best Value: -144 at BetOnline) & Under 6.5 Goals (Best Value: +106 at BetOnline)

After last night’s loss, I see the Rangers being motivated to get the road win. They’re the better team and the Sabres have been dealing with too many struggles to overcome. While it’d be nice to see Levi pick up his first NHL win, he's going against a Stanley Cup contender and will receive a reality check fairly quickly.

I also predict that this game will finish with fewer than 6.5 goals. After all, each of the last six Rangers vs Sabres tilts in Buffalo have resulted in the under, averaging just 4.3 goals scored. After combing for only three goals earlier this month, expect tonight’s contest to be relatively quiet.

Other New York vs Buffalo Betting Resources

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