Panthers vs. Sabres Prediction and Pick: Trust the Home Team

Panthers vs. Sabres Prediction and Pick: Trust the Home Team

The Sabres are on the road to face the Florida Panthers, and the home team is a hefty -225 favorite on the moneyline. To avoid the juice, I'm taking the puck line, and there are several reasons why.

Click here for $5000 worth of sports betting bonuses to use for the Panthers vs. Sabres

Panthers vs. Sabres Start Time, Where to Watch, Odds

• Date: February 24, 2023
• Start Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• Where to Watch: ESPN+

Click here for Panthers vs Sabres odds

Panthers vs. Sabres Prediction

The Buffalo Sabres are playing the second end of a back-to-back after playing the Tampa Bay Lightning and winning on the road in a thrilling 6-5 win in overtime. However, the Sabres haven't been good on the back end of back-to-backs this season, posting a 2-7 record in this situation. They also played a very physical game last night with the Lightning, with the hit total reaching 84 between the two teams, with each side dishing out 42 each. The game also went to overtime, so the Sabres may not look completely fresh. Also, they managed to escape Tampa with a win despite giving up five goals. The Panthers should not be so kind tonight.

On the other hand, the Florida Panthers have the advantage of playing at home in Florida and have already beaten the Sabres twice this season on the road. Additionally, one of their top forwards, Anthony Duclair, is set to make his season debut tonight, which should give the team a ton of motivation. The Panthers have been on a roll lately, winning four of their last six games, with their offense scoring 16 goals in those games.

Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, and Aleksander Barkov continue to lead the Panthers' offense with 74 goals and 106 assists between them. However, the rest of the team has also stepped up, with Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, and Eetu Luostarinen combining for 48 goals and 62 assists. The Panthers' defensemen have also contributed to the offense, with Brandon Montour and Gustav Forsling adding 18 goals and 63 assists from the point.

While the Panthers' defense has struggled at times this season, they still have a better defensive record than the Sabres, allowing only 3.48 goals per game. Their goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, has been improving lately, with a .920 save percentage in his last five games.

In contrast, the Sabres' defense has been a major weakness, allowing 3.49 goals per game this season. Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has also struggled with a .893 save percentage and a 3.55 goals-against average on 776 shots with -9.7 goals saved above average.

The Panthers have the advantage going into this matchup with their strong offense, home-ice advantage, and the Sabres' struggles on back-to-back games. The Sabres' physical game last night may also take a toll on their energy levels. Therefore, I think the Florida Panthers will win tonight's game against the Buffalo Sabres by at least two goals.

Panthers vs. Sabres Pick

• Panthers -1.5 @ (+120) Bet $100 to collect $220. Unibet has the best odds, click here