Wednesday in the NHL, the Calgary Flames head to Buffalo to take on the Sabres. This is the first of two matchups between the two in the regular season, and with both boasting poor records that have them in the bottom-four teams in the NHL, I expect a strong effort from both. 

Calgary looks to snap a two-game losing streak in their second-straight road game, while Buffalo seeks their third-straight win in their second of a four-game homestand. Both are hungry to earn some much-needed points, and we are here to provide our expert Flames vs. Sabres preview and prediction.

Buffalo is a -150 favourite to win on the NHL odds, with the total set at 6.0.

Flames vs. Sabres NHL Betting Odds

The Calgary Flames and Buffalo Sabres meet twice per season as teams from different conferences. These squads have played each other tight over the years, as they split last season’s games, and Buffalo has won four of the previous seven meetings.

ATS (against the spread), the Sabres are 8-11 while the Flames are 11-10. Within the game totals, Calgary is 11-8-2 to the Over, while Buffalo is 10-7-2.

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames came into this season with low expectations, and to be frank, they have performed accordingly. Their 5-13-3 record has them last overall in the NHL, with three points separating them from 31st. Things were even worse at the beginning of the season when they were 1-7-1 to start.

Young potential has been a key focus for the Flames this year, with Dustin Wolf (24), Zayne Parekh (19), and Samuel Honzek (21) being key players. However, both Honzek and Parekh are out with injury, so it is up to the veterans to take the reins on this one.

Buffalo Sabres

It has been trying times for the Buffalo Sabres for many years, and the dark cloud over this team continues. At 7-8-4, the Sabres are at the very bottom of the Eastern Conference, and 28th overall in the NHL. However, seven points separate them from the first position in the Atlantic Division.

Additionally, they are currently riding a two-game winning streak after defeating the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers, while scoring a total of 10 goals. While they may be at the bottom, the season is still early enough that the Sabres can string some wins together and climb the standings. 

Buffalo is still without stud forward Josh Norris and depth pieces such as Jason Zucker, Michael Kesserling, and Zach Benson, but I believe they still outmatch Calgary.

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Flames vs. Sabres?

With Calgary rebuilding, they lack star talent and game breakers that the Sabres have (Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson, etc.). Even with how low they are in the standings, I don’t believe this team has given up. With their two-game winning streak, this should give them lots of confidence and morale on top of their home ice advantage. I expect the Buffalo Sabres to come out with a 3-2 win.

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SABRES

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