BUFFALO SABRES VS. DETROIT RED WINGS – 10/25/2019 FREE PICK & NHL BETTING PREDICTIONS

Buffalo should be able to continue their strong early season start when they visit Little Caesars Arena on Friday night. The Sabres have an amazing 17 points through 11 games and have a stranglehold on the Atlantic.

Detroit meanwhile comes into this game having lost 6 in a row. This looks like the proverbial trap game however as the Red Wings are listed at just +100 on the moneyline.

Buffalo Sabres

How does Buffalo not get this win? The Sabres will be playing in leg two of a back-to-back and a game in which they lost on Thursday. The Rangers got the home win on Thursday night 6-2 with Buffalo being listed at -130.

Buffalo had won three in a row before the loss at Madison Square Garden and had been victorious in 6 of their previous 7. You have to still like Buffalo’s chances in Detroit on Friday just because the Red Wings have been so bad.

Buffalo’s strong start has definitely been powered by their offense which ranks 5th in the league in goals/game at 3.5. Jack Eichel has 14 points, but has been held off the scoring sheet in 3 of the last 4 games.

The Sabres sent Carter Hutton out in net on Thursday and he was atrocious giving up 6 goals on 24 shots to the Rangers. Hutton will rest on Friday which puts Linus Ullmark between the pipes.

Ullmark has been somewhat shaky in his 4 appearances this season. He has allowed at least 3 goals in 3 of 4 starts, but has also been getting pelted facing more than 30 shots each game and 40+ twice.

Detroit Red Wings

Detroit doesn’t have bad odds here for a team that is mired in a 6-game losing streak. That is due mostly to Buffalo playing on the back-to-back. The Wings have gone just 1-3 at Little Caesars Arena this season.

It’s not hard to see why the Red Wings are in 2nd to last in the Atlantic, just a point ahead of the lowly Senators. It’s because a) Detroit cannot score and b) Detroit cannot stop the other team from scoring.

The Red Wings are 29th in the league in goals scored per game. The Red Wings have scored a total of 9 goals over their 6 game losing streak. That makes the ‘under’ of 6 look like a solid play in this matchup.

Detroit is also 30th in the NHL in goals against while ranking 28th in SOG against and 29th in the penalty kill. 5 of the last 6 opponents have scored 5 goals vs. the Wings.

Can Jimmy Howard and his sub .900 save percentage keep the Red Wings in this one? It doesn’t seem likely as he is 1-4 with a 3.88 GAA on the year. Howard has allowed 13 goals in his last 3 starts.

NHL Betting Trends:

Sabres are 8-0 last 8 vs. Atlantic
Sabres are 8-2 last 10 games as a favorite
Sabres are 20-6 last 26 overall
Red Wings are 8-17 last 25 as a home underdog
Red Wings are 4-11 last 15 Friday games

Free Detroit Red Wings vs. Buffalo Sabres NHL Prediction:

It may be a trap and Buffalo is on a B2B, but they are the better team in this one.

4* Free NHL Betting Pick: Sabres -120

Howard is just struggling too much for Detroit.

NHL Free Prediction: Sabres 5 – Red Wings 2

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