Florida Panthers (39-21-3) vs Buffalo Sabres (24-31-6)
Game Info: Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 6:00 pm (Amerant Bank Arena)
The Line: Betting Odds: Florida Panthers -285 / Buffalo Sabres +230 — Over/Under: 6.5
The Buffalo Sabres and the Florida Panthers meet Saturday in NHL action from the Amerant Bank Arena. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Buffalo Sabres vs. Florida Panthers prediction.
Matchup History
These two teams have split the first two meetings of the season in Buffalo, as Buffalo won 5-2 on October 12th, 2024, and Florida returned fire with a 5-2 win of their own in Buffalo on October 28th, 2024. The win made it 8 wins in the last 10 for the Panthers in this head-to-head matchup.
Buffalo Sabres Recap
The Buffalo Sabres come into this game looking to shake off a 6-5 loss at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning to slip to 24-31-6 on the year. After this game, Buffalo will head home for a matchup with the Edmonton Oilers.
Sabres Lose 5th In A Row
Tage Thompson leads the Sabres with 54 points including a team-leading 31 goals along with 23 assists while Alex Tuch is right behind with 48 points including 24 goals and 24 assists. JJ Peterka has 51 points with 19 goals and 32 assists and Rasmus Dahlin has 51 points with 11 goals and 40 assists. Jason Zucker also added 44 points with 18 goals and 26 assists. Devon Levi has gone 2-7 in net for the Sabres with a 4.12 GAA and an .872 save percentage while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is 20-19-4 with a 3.14 GAA and an .890 save percentage as well on the year. James Reimer is 2-5-2 with a 2.68 GAA and a .903 save percentage.
Why the Buffalo Sabres will win
- The Sabres have won three of their last four games as underdogs following a road loss.
- The Panthers have lost four of their last six games as favorites against Atlantic Division opponents.
- The Sabres have covered the puck line in eight of their last nine games as underdogs against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The Panthers have failed to cover the puck line in five of their last six games against Atlantic Division opponents.
Buffalo Sabres Player Prop Facts
- Alex Tuch has scored a goal in each of the Sabres’ last five road games.
- JJ Peterka has recorded at least one assist in each of the Sabres’ last four games against Atlantic Division opponents.
- Jason Zucker has recorded at least one point in each of his last seven appearances with the Sabres as underdogs.
- Alex Tuch ranks T2nd in the Atlantic Division for shootout goals (2) this season.
Florida Panthers Recap
The Florida Panthers come into this game looking to add onto their 3-0 win over Columbus last time out to sit at 39-21-3 on the year. After this game, the Panthers will head on the road for a game against the Boston Bruins.
Panthers Win 5th In A Row
Sam Reinhart has a team-high 67 points including 32 goals and 35 assists while Sam Bennett has 40 points with 19 goals and 21 assists and Anton Lundell has 40 points of his own with 14 goals and 26 assists. Aleksander Barkov also has 59 points with 42 assists of his own while Carter Verhaeghe has 44 points with 16 goals and 28 assists and Matthew Tkachuk has 57 points with 22 goals and 35 assists. Sergei Bobrovsky is 27-13-2 with a 2.49 GAA and a .907 save percentage in goal for Florida this season.
Why the Florida Panthers will win
- The Sabres have lost each of their last six road games.
- The Panthers have won each of their last six night games at Amerant Bank Arena against opponents on a losing streak.
- The Panthers have covered the puck line in four of their last five night games at Amerant Bank Arena against opponents on a losing streak.
Florida Panthers Player Prop Facts
- Matthew Tkachuk has recorded at least one assist in each of his last eight Saturday night appearances against Atlantic Division opponents.
- Matthew Tkachuk has scored at least one goal in each of his last seven appearances with the Panthers as favorites.
- Matthew Tkachuk has recorded at least one point in each of his last eight appearances with the Panthers as favorites.
- Aleksander Barkov ranks T1st in the league for shootout goals (3) this season.
Total Goals Facts
- Each of the Panthers’ last four games as favorites following a home win has gone UNDER the total goals line.
- Each of the Sabres’ last four road games has gone OVER the total goals line.
- Ten of the last 12 games between two teams from the Atlantic Division have gone OVER the total goals line.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Florida Panthers Prediction
I’m on the Panthers here. The Sabres are just a disaster again, as they can’t keep the puck out of the net and while they looked good offensively against Tampa Bay, slotting 5 early ones past Andrei Vasilevskiy, it should set off alarms that Buffalo was unable to hold on once again. The Panthers are still a solid team playing really sound defensive hockey and I just don’t see the Sabres using this spot to break through. Give me the Panthers here.