New Jersey Devils at Buffalo Sabres - 1/31/21 NHL Picks and Prediction
Photo by Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Buffalo Sabres (4-3-2) vs New Jersey Devils (3-3-2)
Game Info: Sunday, January 31, 2021 at 1:00 pm (KeyBank Center)
Betting Odds: Buffalo Sabres -160 / New Jersey Devils +140 --- Over/Under: 6 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The New Jersey Devils and the Buffalo Sabres meet in NHL action from the KeyBank Center on Sunday afternoon.
The New Jersey Devils will look to bounce back after a 4-3 shootout loss to the Sabres in their last matchup. Jack Hughes has 8 points with 3 goals and 5 assitss while Ty Smith has 2 goals and 5 helpers for his 7 points and Miles Wood has 3 goals and a pair of assists for 5 points. Pavel Zacha, Damon Severson, Kyle Palmieri and Nathan Bastian all have 3 points this season with Zacha logging 2 goals while Severson and Bastian added 2 assists and Palmieri added 3 helpers on the year. Scott Wedgewood started in goal for New Jersey on Saturday and I’m not thinking he’s going back-to-back, so with MacKenzie Blackwood on the COVID list, the Devils could turn to Eric Comrie who went 0-2 with a 4.28 GAA in 3 starts for Detroit last season.
The Buffalo Sabres will look to keep the puck rolling after picking up the win over the Devils on Saturday. Taylor Hall and Jack Eichel lead Buffalo with 9 points apiece, including Hall’s 8 assists while Eichel has 2 goals and 7 helpers. Victor Olofsson has 8 points with 4 goals and 4 assists while Sam Reinhart has 3 goals and 3 assists for his 6 points and Eric Staal has 5 points with 3 goals and a pair of assists. Linus Ullmark got the win in goal for Buffalo on Saturday so Carter Hutton will likely start here with a 1-2 record and a 2.65 GAA this season.
New Jersey is 1-4 in their last 5 games overall and 27-56 in their last 83 road games while the under is 5-1 in their last 6 games against a team with a losing record. Buffalo is 5-11 in their last 16 games overall and 1-4 in their last 5 games against a team with a losing record while the under is 5-0 in their last 5 games following a win. The home team is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings between these two teams.
The plus money is tempting with the Devils as you don’t see Buffalo this heavy of a favorite. However, usually when you see Buffalo as this heavy of a favorite, it’s for good reason. The Devils are at the bare bones in goal, with either Scott Wedgewood playing in back-to-back games, or Eric Comrie making the start here, a goalie with just eight starts in four years under his belt. I’m not a fan of Buffalo I won’t lie, but even this is a more than winnable spot for the Sabres all things considered. I’ll back the Sabres to win in regulation to get this hefty price down a bit.
Chris’s Pick Buffalo Sabres in Regulation -110
AUTHOR: Chris Ruffolo
Mitch's Take...
