NHL Best Bets: Flyers vs. Sabres Game Picks

Two teams looking to climb the Eastern Conference standings will face off tonight, with the Philadelphia Flyers visiting the Buffalo Sabres.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Philadelphia Flyers (+198) vs. Buffalo Sabres (-245) Total: 6.5 (O -122, U +100)

The Flyers will play for the second consecutive night after dropping a Sunday night tilt to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but they’ve still posted a 6-4 record over their last ten games. On the other hand, the Sabres are red-hot at the moment and have won two straight games amidst an 8-2 stretch. This will be the first of three meetings between these teams. 

The Sabres have hung around the playoff picture and currently sit four points out of the last wild-card position in the Eastern Conference. Their recent surge in play has done a great job of getting them back into the conversation. They’ll enter tonight’s matchup against the Flyers as sizable favorites on the moneyline at -245, compared to Philadelphia’s price of +198.

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the Flyers will likely start Samuel Ersson in goal, while the Sabres will go with Craig Anderson. The Flyers netminder has a 3-0-0 record with a .905 save percentage, while Anderson is 7-5-1 with a .923 save percentage. Neither inspires a lot of confidence, but both have been effective in getting their teams wins. 

With the Sabres facing a Flyers team that had to travel and will be playing for the second night in a row, there’s likely some value in the home side. Buffalo’s moneyline price doesn’t stick out in terms of value, but there’s merit in their puck line odds of +104.

Best Bet: Sabres puck line -1.5 (+104) 

Over the Flyers’ last five games, three have seen seven or more goals scored, while four of the last five have seen that transpire for Buffalo. The Sabres lead the NHL in goals per game with four, while the Flyers are 27th with 2.75. Still, both teams sit in the back half of the NHL in goals allowed per game, so there could be some sneaky value in expecting a lot of goals to be scored. The total for this matchup is set at 6.5, with the over sitting at -122, while the under is priced at +100. Expect a high-scoring affair, so target the value with the over.

Best Bet: Over 6.5 (-122) 

You rarely see a player listed without plus-money odds to score a goal, but it shows how good Tage Thompson has been for the Buffalo Sabres. The 6’7 forward sits third with 31 goals and has continued his torrid pace. His combination of size and skill is hard to come by and demonstrates the danger of his release. Playing against a Flyers team that will be starting an inexperienced goalie and one that’s playing for the second night in a row, there should be some value in looking for Thompson to score at -106. 

Best Prop: Tage Thompson to Record Over 0.5 Goals (-106)