- What: Ottawa Senators vs Buffalo Sabres
- When: Wednesday, March 27th, 7 PM ET
- Where: KeyBank Center, Buffalo
There are just two games on the NHL Wednesday slate but one of them will see two Eastern Conference foes go toe-to-toe as the Ottawa Senators head down the road to face the Buffalo Sabres. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7 PM ET at KeyBank Center. Ottawa has actually won two in a row and just beat the Edmonton Oilers but they remain one of the worst teams in the heavily competitive Atlantic Division. As for Buffalo, they're coming off a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames but remain on the outside looking in regarding the Wild Card picture with just under a month left in the season. Continue reading for the Senators vs Sabres picks.
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Senators vs Sabres Odds
| Team |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa Senators | +114 | +115 | +110 |
| Buffalo Sabres | -128 | -135 | -130 |
The Sabres are a home favorite here with -128 odds for an implied win probability of 56.14%. The Senators come back at +114 and have a 46.73% chance of taking this one on the road. Bet $50 on Buffalo and you'll make a $39 profit. A $50 bet on Ottawa would earn you a profit of $57. The Sabres have won three of the last four against the Sens, including a 5-3 win in January.
Tough Campaign For Ottawa
It's been a while since the Senators were a contender, especially coming out of such a tough division. Ottawa is 30-36-4 on the season, which puts them in seventh in the Atlantic. The playoffs won't be happening and at this point, it's simply about finishing out the campaign on a respectable note. The Sens are 5-4-1 in their last 10 outings and did just put together a pair of impressive performances against the Devils and the Oilers.
Ottawa first beat New Jersey 5-2 before taking down Connor McDavid and Co., putting five past Edmonton's improved blue line. Star defenceman Jakob Chychrun was the star of the show here, scoring twice. He broke the tie late in the third period with a power play goal. Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson both had three points apiece as well, while Brady Tkachuk added two assists. Despite being outshot 36-16 by the Oilers, the Senators made their opportunities count, especially with the man advantage. They scored three goals on the power play.
Offense has been their strongest asset in 2023-24, ranking 14th in the league with 3.17 goals per contest. Stutzle leads the way with 68 points and Tkachuk isn't far behind him at 61. Claude Giroux is also on the doorstep of 60 with 59 points to his name. Ottawa is just 11-20-2 on the road this season, so this will be a tough one on Wednesday.
Sabres Playoff Drought Likely to Continue
Considering Buffalo is six points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Wild Card race, it's likely they will not be playing postseason hockey for the 13th straight season. That's a very disappointing drought for any franchise, no matter the sport. While six points isn't a massive gap, they'd have to jump the Devils, Islanders, and Red Wings to make the playoffs. That's a massive hurdle and they have the fewest games left of all these teams. Although the Sabres will be holding out hope, it's going to be an uphill battle.
Buffalo owns a 34-33-5 record and has a daunting schedule to close out the campaign. The Maple Leafs, Capitals, Devils, Lightning, Panthers, and Red Wings, among others, are some of their upcoming opponents. Not easy. The Sabres had lost back-to-back games to the Canucks and Oilers while getting outscored 11-5 but they managed to bounce back on Sunday against Calgary. The two went into the third period tied 1-1 but Buffalo proceeded to score three unanswered thanks to JJ Peterka, Tage Thompson, and Connor Clifton. Peyton Krebs also got on the scoresheet.
The Sabres' biggest issue this season is their lack of productivity in front of goal, ranking 20th in the league with 2.97 goals per night. Jeff Skinner's 24 goals are a team-best and after him, there are only two others with over 20 goals. Plus, Rasmus Dahlin, a defenceman, leads the squad with 52 points. There is no way a blue-liner should be leading a team in the offensive department. You can see why Buffalo will probably be watching the playoffs from home.
Senators vs Sabres Picks
Even though Buffalo is sitting at .500 on home ice, they have a track record of success against the Senators, which does mean something. I'm liking the Sabres moneyline.
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