- The Sabres are a -1.5 goal favorite vs. the Canadiens
- Canadiens vs. Sabres Total (Over/Under): 5.5 goals
- TV Channel: TNT | HBOM | CBC | RSN
The Montreal Canadiens visit KeyBank Center to take on the Buffalo Sabres on May 8 in Buffalo, NY. The puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm.
The Sabres are betting favorites in this NHL hockey matchup, with the puck line sitting at -1.5 (+180).
The Canadiens vs. Sabres Over/Under is 6 total goals.
Canadiens vs. Sabres Odds, Spread, Over/Under:
Canadiens vs Sabres Prediction:
The winning team model predicts the Sabres will win this game with 90.0% confidence, based on game simulations, offensive and defensive matchups, and recent game results.
Canadiens vs Sabres Spread Prediction:
Based on recent against-the-spread trends, the model predicts the Canadiens will cover the spread with 56.4% confidence.
This prediction against the spread factors in ATS performance for both teams, opening and current betting lines, plus public and sharp money already wagered on this matchup.
NHL Odds at the BetMGM Sportsbook
Canadiens Best Bets & Trends
- The Montreal Canadiens have hit the 3P Game Total Under in 12 of their last 20 games (+10.80 Units / 52% ROI)
- The Montreal Canadiens have covered the Puck Line in 17 of their last 25 away games (+8.90 Units / 21% ROI)
- The Montreal Canadiens have hit the Game Total Under in 14 of their last 20 games (+8.80 Units / 41% ROI)
- The Montreal Canadiens have hit the Moneyline in 11 of their last 15 away games (+7.85 Units / 45% ROI)
- The Montreal Canadiens have hit the 2P Moneyline in 10 of their last 15 away games (+7.20 Units / 42% ROI)
Sabres Best Bets & Trends
- The Buffalo Sabres have covered the 3P Puck Line in 19 of their last 25 games (+14.80 Units / 48% ROI)
- The Buffalo Sabres have hit the 3P Moneyline in 18 of their last 25 games (+12.40 Units / 34% ROI)
- The Buffalo Sabres have covered the 1P Puck Line in 11 of their last 15 games (+10.30 Units / 49% ROI)
- The Buffalo Sabres have covered the Puck Line in 9 of their last 12 games (+9.85 Units / 56% ROI)
- The Buffalo Sabres have hit the 2P Game Total Under in 11 of their last 20 games (+7.30 Units / 28% ROI)
Canadiens Against the Spread (ATS) Record
Canadiens are 52-38 against the spread this NHL season (+14.25 Units / 9.96% ROI).
- Canadiens are 52-38 when betting on the Moneyline for +10.9 Units /9.97% ROI
- Canadiens are 47-40 when betting the Over for +2 Units / 1.98% ROI
- Canadiens are 40-47 when betting the Under for -11.15 Units /-11.37% ROI
Sabres Against the Spread (ATS) Record
Sabres are 51-38 against the spread this NHL season (+19.2 Units /14.69% ROI).
- Sabres are 55-34 when betting on the Moneyline for +18.25 Units / 16.66% ROI
- Sabres are 40-44 when betting the Over for -8.5 Units / -8.61% ROI
- Sabres are 44-40 when betting the Under for +0.3 Units / 0.31% ROI
Anytime Goal Scorer Predictions for for Sabres vs Canadiens
| Player Name | Odds to Score a Goal |
|---|---|
| Tage Thompson (Buf) | +140 |
| Cole Caufield (MTL) | +170 |
| Alex Tuch (BUF) | +175 |
| Nick Suzuki (MTL) | +210 |
| Juraj Slafkovsky (MTL) | +210 |
| Jason Zucker (BUF) | +300 |
Points Per Game Predictions for Sabres vs Canadiens
| Player Name | Over | Under |
|---|---|---|
| Owen Power (BUF) | 0.5 +190 | 0.5 -275 |
| Ryan McLeod (BUF) | 0.5 +140 | 0.5 -190 |
| Jason Zucker (BUF) | 0.5 +115 | 0.5 -155 |
| Kirby Dach (MTL) | 0.5 +260 | 0.5 -375 |
| Josh Doan (BUF) | 0.5 +115 | 0.5 -155 |
Shots on Goal Predictions for Sabres vs Canadiens
| Player Name | Over | Under |
|---|---|---|
| Owen Power (BUF) | 1.5 +170 | 1.5 -235 |
| Jason Zucker (BUF) | 1.5 -165 | 1.5 +125 |
| Josh Doan (BUF) | 1.5 -145 | 1.5 +105 |
| Josh Anderson (MTL) | 1.5 +130 | 1.5 -175 |
| Zachary Bolduc (MTL) | 1.5 +140 | 1.5 -190 |
Canadiens: Keys to the Game vs. Sabres
The Canadiens are 46-33 (.582) this season — 6th best among NHL Teams; League Avg: .500
The Canadiens are 6-85 (.066) when allowing 4 or more non-shootout goals since the start of the 2023-24 season — 2nd lowest among NHL Teams; League Avg: .130
The Canadiens are 102-119 (.462) since the start of the 2023-24 season — tied for 8th lowest among NHL Teams; League Avg: .500
The Canadiens are 13-6 (.684) when tied after the second period this season — 3rd best among NHL Teams; League Avg: .500
Sabres: Keys to the Game vs. Canadiens
The Sabres were 34-45 (.430) last season — 9th lowest among NHL Teams; League Avg: .500
The Sabres are 47-32 (.595) this season — 5th best among NHL Teams; League Avg: .500
The Sabres were 2-28 (.067) when scoring 2 or fewer non-shootout goals last season — 2nd lowest among NHL Teams; League Avg: .144
The Sabres were 2-33 (.057) when allowing 4 or more non-shootout goals last season — 6th lowest among NHL Teams; League Avg: .135
Canadiens Offensive Stats & Trends
The Canadiens have 3.5 points per game while tied this season — best among NHL Teams; League Avg: 2.7
The Canadiens scored on 29% of second chance opportunities in the third period last season — best among NHL Teams; League Avg: 17%
The Canadiens have scored 10 goals in overtime this season — tied for most among NHL Teams
The Canadiens scored on 10% of second chance opportunities in the second period last season — 2nd lowest among NHL Teams; League Avg: 16%
Sabres Offensive Stats & Trends
The Sabres had 5 forecheck chances in 4v4 situations last season — tied for most among NHL Teams
The Sabres have 171 forecheck chances in the second period since the start of the 2024-25 season — most among NHL Teams
The Sabres had 0.3 points per game while shorthanded last season — tied for 2nd best among NHL Teams; League Avg: 0.2
The Sabres had 86 forecheck chances in the second period last season — most among NHL Teams
Canadiens Defensive Stats & Trends
The Canadiens have allowed 6 second chance scoring opportunities in 4v4 situations this season — most among NHL Teams
The Canadiens allowed 2.4 rush chances per game in the third period last season — tied for highest among NHL Teams; League Avg: 1.9
The Canadiens allowed opponents to score on 31% of rush chances in overtime last season — highest among NHL Teams; League Avg: 13%
The Canadiens have allowed opponents to score on 8% of rush chances this season — best among NHL Teams; League Avg: 11%
Sabres Defensive Stats & Trends
The Sabres had a .887 save percentage last season — 2nd lowest among NHL Teams; League Avg: .901
The Sabres have a .704 save percentage in overtime since the start of the 2023-24 season — 2nd lowest among NHL Teams; League Avg: .815
The Sabres allowed 279 goals last season — 4th most among NHL Teams
The Sabres allowed 3.55 expected goals per game last season — 3rd highest among NHL Teams; League Avg: 3.14
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