Washington Capitals vs. Buffalo Sabres Prediction & Betting Preview
The Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres face off this Saturday in NHL action, with both teams looking to snap losing streaks. Let’s break down the matchup, with a full preview, betting insight, and final pick.
Washington Capitals Preview
The Capitals come into this game struggling after dropping three straight games to the Islanders, Stars, and next facing the Blues. Their offense has gone quiet lately.
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Offense: Washington is averaging 2.55 goals per game and converting on 16.7% of their power plays.
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Tom Wilson leads the team with 6 goals.
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Dylan Strome has a team-high 8 assists.
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Jakob Chychrun leads with 30 shots on goal.
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Defense/Goaltending: The Caps are allowing just 2.27 goals per game but are killing only 72.7% of penalties.
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Logan Thompson has allowed 12 goals on 185 shots.
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Charlie Lindgren has given up 11 goals on 93 shots.
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Buffalo Sabres Preview
Buffalo is also on a three-game losing streak after falling to the Bruins and Blue Jackets, and they have a matchup against the Mammoth ahead.
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Offense: The Sabres are scoring 3 goals per game and converting 21.6% of their power plays.
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Jason Zucker leads with 4 goals.
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Rasmus Dahlin has 8 assists.
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Tage Thompson has fired 50 shots on goal.
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Defense/Goaltending: Buffalo allows 3.18 goals per game while posting an impressive 89.5% penalty kill rate.
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Alex Lyon has allowed 26 goals on 294 shots.
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Colten Ellis has given up 2 goals on 31 shots.
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Why the Sabres Could Win
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Buffalo has won 7 straight home games against teams on losing streaks.
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Washington has lost 3 straight overall.
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The Capitals have failed to cover the puck line in their last 7 visits to KeyBank Center.
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The Sabres have covered in 10 of their last 11 games versus Washington.
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Favorites have won the third period in Washington’s last 4 games in Buffalo.
Why the Capitals Could Win
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Washington has won 13 of their last 14 night games vs. Buffalo after a loss.
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Buffalo has lost their last 2 games as favorites when facing a team on the second night of a back-to-back.
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The Capitals are 10-1 on the puck line in their last 11 road games after a home loss.
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The Sabres have failed to cover the puck line in 6 of their last 7 games coming off overtime.
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Washington has taken the third period in 6 of their last 7 road games vs. Atlantic Division teams when trailing after two periods.
Total Goals Trends
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8 of the Sabres’ last 9 home games after overtime have gone OVER.
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8 of the Capitals’ last 9 games as road underdogs after a home loss have gone UNDER.
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Over 1.5 goals in the second period has hit in:
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Each of Buffalo’s last 11 games as a favorite vs. Metro Division teams.
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Each of Washington’s last 8 games against opponents on losing streaks.
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Player Props to Watch
Buffalo Sabres:
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Alex Tuch has a point in 7 straight games as a favorite.
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Tuch has at least one assist in 5 straight home games vs. Metro Division teams.
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He has scored in 6 of his last 7 games as a favorite.
Washington Capitals:
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Alex Ovechkin has scored in 10 of his last 12 games after playing the previous day.
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Ovechkin has recorded a point in 19 of his last 20 games after logging under 20 minutes the previous day.
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Dylan Strome has assists in 5 of his last 6 appearances.
Matchup Facts
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Sabres are tied for 1st in fewest shorthanded goals allowed (0).
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Sabres rank 31st in shots against per game (31.9).
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Capitals have the most wins by 4+ goals this season (2).
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Washington also has the worst loss of the season—a 6-goal defeat vs. the Senators on October 25.
Final Prediction: Capitals vs. Sabres
The Capitals are the more complete team on paper, but their offense has disappeared lately. Meanwhile, despite their losses, Buffalo has pushed games into overtime and collected points, showing resilience. The Sabres have also taken 4 of the last 5 matchups against Washington and tend to score well against them.
