Buffalo vs. Seattle: NHL Match Prediction
Buffalo will play at home on January 12, where they will meet Seattle. The Sabres have recently gained good form and will try to beat the Krakens, who in turn are on the decline. Which bets to choose? You will find the answer in our betting tip
Match announcement
Buffalo Sabres
Current form
It seems that Buffalo has finally managed to overcome another slump, as it has once again started to please fans with excellent results. The team has ended its unsuccessful away series of four games, in which it was able to win only one victory over St. Louis (4:2). The team also imposed a decent fight on Colorado, but due to frequent failures in defense, it allowed the opponent to make a comeback, and as a result, it had to suffer a very disappointing defeat in overtime (5:6). What is especially noteworthy is that the Avalanche tied the score just eight seconds before the final whistle. In the remaining matches, the Blades failed to cope with Dallas (2:4) and Vegas (1:3).
Returning to their home arena, the club finally broke their losing streak, hosting Washington. The Blades maintained an advantage over the clear favorite for almost the entire match, but five minutes before the end they missed a puck again, which almost led to another defeat. It went to overtime, where they still managed to snatch a victory with a final score of 4:3. In particular, it is worth praising forward Tukh, who scored twice. Then the team went to visit Ottawa, where they did not miss a single puck, winning a dry victory (4:0). Goalkeeper Luukkonen showed an amazing game, reflecting all 35 shots, thereby making a shutout. However, the points scored have not yet affected Buffalo position in the Eastern Conference standings. The team is still in last place due to a very long decline, having only 37 points.
Disqualifications and injuries
Buffalo doesn't have any serious roster problems. Only two players are in the infirmary: Kulich and Greenway.
Interesting trends for betting
- On average, Buffalo allows 3.3 goals per game.
The club main problem remains its weak defensive play.
- The Sabres converted just 17% of their power play attempts.
The team also cannot boast of a good game in the majority and rarely takes advantage of opponents' penalties.
Seattle Kraken
Current form
After a brief upswing, Seattle faced a downturn again. On home ice, the team had every opportunity to consolidate its success and win its third straight game against Vancouver. The team was one step away from defeat, but tied the score just a minute before the final whistle. However, in the end, it went to a shootout, where they suffered an unfortunate defeat (3:4). In the next game against Edmonton, Bylsma team failed to score points. Defensive problems again played a key role, which led to a 2:4 defeat. The opponent made almost twice as many shots on goal.
Continuing to play at home, Seattle met with another strong opponent - New Jersey. This time the team corrected the mistakes in defense and played more reliably. However, low efficiency in attack led to the third defeat in a row with a score of 2:3. In three periods, they managed to make only 23 shots on goal, which of course was not enough. Then the team went to play away to "Columbus", where they suffered a complete rout with a difference of four goals (2:6). The second period was a failure, in which the "jackets" took possession of a significant advantage, which they were no longer able to win back. Goalkeeper Grubauer, who was replaced just in the second twenty minutes, showed his worst side. It is difficult to say when the Krakens will finally come to their senses and start earning points consistently, but there are no prerequisites for this now, especially after the match with the Blue Jackets. It is also worth noting that the gap from the playoff zone is growing and already amounts to nine points, which is a lot for the NHL.
Disqualifications and injuries
Seattle has a new addition to its infirmary. Gourd has joined Eberle.
Interesting trends for betting
- Seattle is allowing an average of 3.2 goals per game.
The club still has significant defensive problems.
- On average, the Krakens receive six penalty minutes per match.
The team rarely breaks the rules and does not give additional advantages to its opponents.
Trends
Goal in each period bet – yes
In five out of six head-to-head matches, the teams scored a goal in each period
1.50Bet First Goal: Seattle
Seattle has opened the scoring in four of the six head-to-head games
1.99Tip and bets
Bookmakers single out Buffalo as the favorite in the upcoming match, for which there are certain reasons. The team has picked up a good pace and has recently been coping with both obvious favorites and opponents of its level, which cannot be said about Seattle. Indeed, the Krakens continue to be on the decline, and the losing streak has already reached four matches in a row. In addition to this, the team will play away, where it is even more difficult to prove themselves. We believe that the guests will not be able to interrupt the losing streak this time and bet on the Sabres.
Our prediction is Buffalo win the match at 1.80
Bet on total
Also, in the upcoming match, we can expect a large number of goals scored. Both teams cannot boast of a reliable game in defense this season and too often allow their competitors to realize their potential in attack. It is hard to believe that the teams will be able to improve their game in defense in such a short time, so as a second bet we choose total over.
Betting Tip - total over 5.5 goals for 1.80
Bet on the outcome of the first period
Buffalo often plays well at the start of the match and, due to this, earns an advantage at the end of the opening period. Home walls should help the club to win again in the opening period.
Prediction - Buffalo win in the first period with a handicap of (0) for 1.75