Sabres vs Islanders Prediction, Odds & Picks (March 7): Will Buffalo’s Long Island Skid End?

The Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders aim to improve their playoff odds when they clash in NHL action on Tuesday, March 7. Buffalo is currently three points back of the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot while New York holds the conference’s first wild card position. Needless to say, tonight’s Sabres vs Islanders matchup has serious implications.

See you tomorrow. ?

Be there: https://t.co/j28nSu0Rof pic.twitter.com/uWAJ4fx6lA

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) March 7, 2023

The Sabres hope to rebound after falling 3-2 to the Edmonton Oilers less than 24 hours ago. Buffalo has now lost three times in its last four outings, getting outscored 18-11 in the process.

On the other side, the Islanders have had a few days to relax after their 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Anders Lee tallied his 23rd and 24th goals of the 2022-23 season while goaltender Ilya Sorokin turned aside 22 of the 23 shots he faced.

Not only is tonight’s Sabres vs Islanders contest important to the playoff race, but it also features several intriguing betting opportunities. 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.

Buffalo Sabres vs New York Islanders Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Buffalo Sabres (32-26-4, 19-9-2 Away) vs. New York Islanders (32-25-8, 19-11-3 Home)
• Venue & Location: UBS Arena (Elmont, New York)
• Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2023
• Game Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
• Sabres vs Islanders TV Info: ESPN+

Sabres vs Islanders Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Tuesday, March 7 at 7:55 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Buffalo Sabres +1.5 (-170)
• New York Islanders -1.5 (+138)

Over/Under

• Over 6.5 Goals (-102)
• Under 6.5 Goals (-120)

Moneyline

• Buffalo Sabres +138
• New York Islanders -166

Sabres vs Islanders Betting Trends

• Buffalo is 4-1 straight up in its last five road games.
• The Islanders are 2-7 straight up in their last nine games against the Atlantic Division.
• The total has hit the over in six of Buffalo’s last seven games against the Eastern Conference.
• The total has hit the under in four of the Islanders’ last five home games.
• The total has hit the over in seven of the last nine Sabres-Islanders matchups.

Sabres Eye Rare Win in Long Island

If the Sabres want to make the postseason, a victory tonight would go a long way. While winning on the road is an uphill battle, it’s not impossible.

Having said that, winning in Long Island has been something that Buffalo has struggled with for quite some time.

The Sabres have lost 10 straight road matchups with the Islanders, having not beaten the latter in their own arena since March 2016. What’s even worse is that most of the losses haven’t been that close as seven of them came by double-digit margins. In fact, Buffalo has been outscored 44-18 during that span.

Unfortunately, the Sabres looked horrible in their last road game of the 2022-23 NHL season. They were blown out 7-1 by the Boston Bruins just five nights ago and even though the Islanders aren’t the Bruins, it’s clear that the Sabres’ confidence isn’t that high at the moment.

The Islanders have also been solid at home lately, going 6-2-1 in their last nine games at UBS Arena. They’ve beaten solid teams like the Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken during that span, proving that they can handle what the Sabres have to throw at them.

State Your Case: Can Sabres catch Islanders, make playoffs this season?https://t.co/AbpWo9bk3u

— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) March 7, 2023

Ilya Sorokin’s continued strong play between the pipes also gives the Islanders an advantage. The Russian netminder is 6-2-2 in his last 10 starts, tallying a 1.98 goals-against average, .938 save percentage and two shutouts along the way. He’s lost four straight starts against Buffalo, so time will tell if he can break. that trend tonight.

And after Craig Anderson faced the Oilers, the Sabres will likely give Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen the start. Though he’s been solid for the most part this season, Luukkonen has left a lot to be desired recently. On top of losing five of his last seven starts, he also has a 4.49 GAA and .874 SV% in those games.

The Islanders’ power play has also been clicking well lately, operating at a 25% success rate (8-of-32) over the last 13 games. Meanwhile, opponents are 12-of-38 (31.6%) on the man advantage over the Sabres’ last 15 games. Even worse is that they’ve allowed at least one PP goal in all but four of those contests.

The Sabres are also playing on less than 24 hours of rest and are 3-5-1 in games played with zero days of rest this season. Considering how the Islanders have been off since Saturday, Buffalo is going to have its hands full with a rejuvenated New York squad.

Sabres vs Islanders Prediction and Picks

Sabres vs Islanders Prediction: Islanders 4, Sabres 3

Sabres vs Islanders Picks: Islanders ML (Best Value: -166 at BetOnline) & Over 6.5 Goals (Best Value: -102 at BetOnline)

I can’t bring myself to trust the Sabres tonight. Though they beat the Islanders earlier this season, the Sabres are playing sloppy at the moment and have allowed an average of 4.5 goals over their last four games. The Islanders have the talent to take advantage of the situation, especially with how poorly Luukkonen has been playing. If New York also converts on its PP opportunities, the home team shouldn’t have an issue.

I also recommend backing the total going over 6.5 goals. After all, the over is 4-1 in Buffalo’s last five games, as well as 4-2 in New York’s last six outings in March. On top of that, six of the last nine Sabres vs Islanders matchups have gone over 6.5 goals, seeing an average of 6.67 scored over that stretch.

With the Sabres allowing a lot of goals in recent weeks, expect a decent amount of offense tonight.

Other Buffalo vs New York Betting Resources

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