Sabres vs. Capitals Prediction
Both the Buffalo Sabres and the host Washington Capitals will be looking to bounce back from a loss tonight when they meet in D.C. Is Washington the right team to bet on as the favorites in the contest?
Game Snapshot
25 Buffalo Sabres at 26 Washington Capitals
Friday, December 21, 2018
Capital One Arena at 7PM ET
TV: NBCSN
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Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Capitals are a -165 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Sabres are a +144 underdog, while the total is set at 6.5 goals. As of Friday morning, 83 percent of public bets are pouring in on host Washington. Check out our NHL Public Betting Page for the latest information.
Sabres fall flat versus Panthers
Buffalo lost 5-2 at home Tuesday night as it gave up four unanswered goals in the third period. The Sabres dropped to 20-10-5 with the defeat. Jeff Skinner gave the hosts a 1-0 advantage in the first period on his 25th goal of the season. Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart assisted on the score. Florida tied it up in the second, but Buffalo took the lead back at 2-1 later in the period as Rasmus Ristolainen found the back of the net. Reinhart and Skinner recorded assists. The Panthers proceeded to score four third-period goals to send the Sabres to the loss. Carter Hutton surrendered four goals on 35 shots in the losing effort.
Caps’ five-game win streak snapped
Washington lost by a count of 2-1 Wednesday night at home versus the Penguins. The Capitals (20-10-3) struck first in the second period on a goal by Lars Eller with Tom Wilson registering an assist. Pittsburgh proceeded to score twice later in the second period and held on for the narrow victory. Braden Holtby made 28 saves on 30 shots in the loss. Washington recorded 32 shots on goal with Brett Connolly, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin leading the way with five shots on goal apiece.
NHL Betting Trends
Buffalo
The over is 5-0 in the last five Sabres games versus the Eastern Conference. Buffalo is 1-6 in the last seven meetings.
Washington
The Capitals are 13-3 in the last 16 meetings versus the Sabres. The over is 4-1-1 in the last six meetings in Washington.
Prediction:
Washington is every bit as good as it was last season when it won the Stanley Cup, perhaps even better. Ovechkin is playing at as high of a level as he ever has, Holtby is heating up as of late and the Caps are strong at home. Buffalo was a bit of a mirage during its 10-game winning streak, relying a lot on luck going its way. The Sabres have a bright future, but it’s hard to bet on them right now in tough games on the road. Go with Washington here and consider the puck line.
NHL DAILY PREDICTION: WASHINGTON CAPITALS -165