The Washington Capitals are road favorites on Tuesday night, as they visit the Buffalo Sabres in a game that can be seen on NBCSN. Even though the Capitals are favored, this is not a great spot for them, as they will be playing with no rest having hosted Arizona on Monday. The Sabres are well rested, having not played since Saturday, but Buffalo is in last place in the Atlantic Division. Washington has done well in this series of late, winning 8 of the last 10, including the last three.
This war on the ice will go down Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at 7 p.m. ET at KeyBank Center. The game will be televised live on NBCSN.
We'll have NHL odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NHL Tuesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Washington did play at home on Monday night but the game was against the worst team in hockey, the Arizona Coyotes. The Capitals have been okay on the road this season, going 5-4 and most of their games have been high scoring, as they have gone over seven times and under just twice. The Capitals are scoring three goals per game but giving up 3.3 per contest.
Washington has played better of late, due in part to their depth, as the third line is contributing. Last year, the Capitals third line produced 39 goals. Washington struggled early this season with secondary scoring, as Andre Burakovsky got hurt. Burakovsky will miss at least another six weeks and Brett Connolly is also hurt. Last week head coach Barry Trotz promoted Devante Smith-Pelly to the top-six alongside Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin and he put Tom Wilson and Chandler Stephenson to go along with Lars Eller. “They’re starting to have some success creating their own identity,” Trotz said to the Washington Post about his team and the new line combinations. “That’s a good thing.” Wilson had two goals in the win over Boston on Saturday.
The Sabres are in a familiar spot in the Eastern Conference, in last place. They were routed on Saturday, losing 5-1 at Dallas. Injuries have really hurt the Buffalo blue line, as they badly miss Zach Bogasian. They have had to recall young players like Taylor Fedun and Zach Redmond from Rochester and the defense has suffered.
Buffalo is scoring just 2.5 goals per game 29th in the league, while they are giving up 3.7 goals per contest, 28th in the NHL. The Sabres are 1-4 at home with two games going over the total, two going under, with one push.
Special Teams
The Capitals are 16th in the league on the power play at 18.6%, while they are just 29th in penalty killing at 74.6%. The Sabres are just 29th in the league on the power play at 12.5%, while they are 13th in penalty killing at 81.4%.
Key Stat
The Capitals have won 8 of the last 10 including three of four last season. The Capitals won 3-2 and 3-1 at home last season and split on the road, losing 4-1 and winning 4-1. Washington has won six of the last ten at Buffalo, including four of the last five.
Free NHL Picks
The Capitals have all of the technical edges and they have done well in this series, but the Sabres have the edge in terms of rest. And lack of rest has been a huge problem for Washington lately, as they have lost seven of their last nine playing with no rest. Another interesting part about the Capitals is that when they play with no rest their games tend to go under the total. Four of their last five playing with no rest have gone under. Even with the bad situation I lean toward Washington, but I think the better play is to take this game on Tuesday night under the total.
NHL Odds: Capitals 3, Sabres 2
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
