Sartori's prediction: The Red Wings' dominance of the Sabres continues.
NHL
The Buffalo Sabres host the Detroit Red Wings in an Atlantic Division tilt on TNT tonight. Puck drop comes your way at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Detroit has owned this matchup over the past few years, and my Red Wings vs. Sabres predictions expect more of the same in their first head-to-head meeting of the season.
Check out my NHL picks for Wednesday, October 22.
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Red Wings vs Sabres Best bet: Red Wings moneyline (-110)
These divisional opponents have gotten off to opposite starts this season. The Detroit Red Wings sit atop the Atlantic Division with a 5-1 record, while the Buffalo Sabres rank seventh at 2-4.
That disparity makes sense, given how differently these teams have performed analytically. The Wings are one of a handful of teams that rank in the Top 10 in both expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60) and expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60).
They’re generating high-danger scoring chances while suppressing them effectively at the other end of the ice. The opposite is true for the Sabres, as they rank in the bottom half of the league in both categories.
There are two reasons why, despite this large differential, Detroit is priced at only -110 on the moneyline: Buffalo is at home, and holds the goaltending advantage.
However, the Wings are undefeated on the road, while the Sabres are 2-2 at home. Detroit’s John Gibson can match up well with Buffalo’s Alex Lyon in net.
Gibson has allowed two or fewer goals in each of his past two starts, winning both. He beat the Edmonton Oilers and Tampa Bay Lightning over that stretch, two offenses far more dangerous than Buffalo’s.
Detroit captain Dylan Larkin has started 2025 on fire. Including the preseason, he’s scored nine goals over his past 10 games.
There’s also a strong chance that Lucas Raymond records an assist in this game, as he skates alongside Larkin on both the first line and first power-play unit. Raymond has assisted on two of Larkin’s past four goals.
Detroit has won five of the past six meetings between these two teams. Find more NHL betting trends for Red Wings vs. Sabres.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Tony Sartori has written over 1,000 pieces of sports betting content across multiple different media outlets. He covers the NHL, UFC, PGA, NFL and MLB. Tony started part-time while attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he went on to receive a B.A. in Economics and a certificate in Entrepreneurship in 2022. He continues to work full-time in the sports betting landscape.
Due to the variety of sports he covers, Tony is handicapping every day. If he had one piece of betting advice for a new sports bettor, it would be to strictly enforce bankroll management rules for yourself. If you set aside $10,000 for your betting bankroll, then you should generally only be betting between $100 – $500 per play.
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