New Jersey has been an incredible road team all season, and they’ll need that fortune to continue as they require points to overcome Carolina atop the Metropolitan Division. Buffalo’s season is in shambles, and things have been dreadful at KeyBank Center as of late.

Check the NHL odds as they develop.

Devils vs. Sabres NHL Betting Odds

These clubs have met on the ice only once so far this season. It came early in the campaign in November when the Devils burned the Sabres 3-1 in Buffalo. Away sides have won three consecutive matches, although New Jersey has gotten the upper hand overall in four of the past five meetings.

Lindy Ruff’s ensemble should count itself fortunate. They only trail the Carolina Hurricanes by two points in the Metropolitan despite having lost four of the five most recent outings. Incidentally, two of their last significant wins were against Eastern Conference heavyweights, Carolina and Tampa Bay. But they also lost to the Lightning twice. The under has connected in six of New Jersey’s last nine games.

The Sabres are on the downslide in more ways than one. Obviously losing four consecutive contests is not how to find positives as the regular season winds down. What’s disconcerting is the manner in which they’ve tripped up, especially at home. As ridiculous as this is going to sound, the Sabres have conceded at least seven goals in three of their last four home games. That’s not a typo. Seven. Rarely has a team delivered such emphatically awful home performances over the stretch of multiple games.

New Jersey Devils

If any sports fans still dubious about the merits of hockey required reassurance that a low-scoring, 2-1 game can be thrilling, look no further than Tuesday night’s tilt between the Minnesota Wild and the Devils.

The Wild’s Filip Gustavsson is having a season to remember, and Tuesday night was a signature performance. New Jersey did everything it could to bulldoze over the guests, pounding Minnesota’s net 48 times. Apart from a post ringing in overtime, Gustavsson repelled 47 of the attempts. It was a bold, inspiring effort, one that was imperative in a game where the Wild were second best. That’s not to say Vitek Vanecek wasn’t good. He was, stopping 27 of the 29 attempts on his goal, but it wasn’t 47 out of 48.  The only Devil to outduel him was Timo Meier (35^th) on a sneaky wrap-around in the third period to tie the score 1-1. By virtue of falling in overtime New Jersey still collected a point, but they were left wondering what more they could have done.

Buffalo Sabres

Does is mean much to say that Tuesday night’s effort in a 7-3 defeat was better than the one on Sunday against Boston which saw the Sabres get squashed 7-0? It’s a slightly better-looking score line, but still indicative of big issues. Lest it is forgotten that Buffalo also lost 10-4 at home to Dallas earlier this month.

The Sabres haven’t been a very good home side this season (13-20-3 at home versus 20-11-3 on the road), but what’s transpiring lately is just plain weird. On Tuesday it was Nashville’s turn to gang up on the home team. By the time Tage Thompson rocketed his 43^rd of the season on the powerplay in the middle frame, it was already 6-1 for the guests. Thompson has been a consistent bright spot in a topsy-turvy campaign. No goalie has been able to keep a goals against average under 3.00. Craig Anderson, victimized on Tuesday, sports the best figures at 3.06. Surely these dreadful performances can’t continue, can they?

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Devils vs. Sabres?

Injuries

New Jersey

Dougie Hamilton (D)

Ques Tues Illness - 10 / 04 / 23

Michael McLeod (C)

day-to-day Undisclosed - 10 / 04 / 23

Curtis Lazar (C)

Prob Thurs Lower Body - 19 / 03 / 23

Nathan Bastian (RW)

Prob Tues Upper Body - 14 / 03 / 23

Miles Wood (LW)

Out indefinitely Undisclosed - 14 / 03 / 23

Miles Wood (LW)

Ques Thurs Undisclosed - 07 / 03 / 23

Timo Meier (RW)

Out indefinitely Upper Body - 26 / 02 / 23

Erik Haula (LW)

Ques Sat Illness - 25 / 02 / 23

Mackenzie Blackwood (G)

Early April Lower Body - 21 / 02 / 23

John Marino (D)

Ques Tues Illness - 21 / 02 / 23

Buffalo

Mattias Samuelsson (D)

out for season Undisclosed - 13 / 04 / 23

Craig Anderson (G)

Prob Thurs Upper Body - 28 / 03 / 23

Vinnie Hinostroza (LW)

Out indefinitely Personal - 23 / 03 / 23

Jordan Greenway (LW)

Ques Mon Upper Body - 20 / 03 / 23

Eric Comrie (G)

Prob Fri Lower Body - 12 / 03 / 23

Mattias Samuelsson (D)

Ques Fri Upper Body - 12 / 03 / 23

Mattias Samuelsson (D)

Ques Thurs Upper Body - 06 / 03 / 23

Riley Stillman (D)

Ques Thurs Upper Body - 04 / 03 / 23

Alex Tuch (RW)

Late March Lower Body - 25 / 02 / 23

Kale Clague (D)

Ques Fri Lower Body - 20 / 02 / 23

Injuries

New Jersey

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Dougie Hamilton (D)	Ques Tues	Illness - 10 / 04 / 23	7-7	9-5	+ -
Hamilton is dealing with an illness, leaving his status against the Sabres on Tuesday in question.
Michael McLeod (C)	day-to-day	Undisclosed - 10 / 04 / 23	7-7	9-5	+ -
McLeod is dealing with an unknown injury, and it is uncertain if he will lace up for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first round.
Curtis Lazar (C)	Prob Thurs	Lower Body - 19 / 03 / 23	12-13	15-9-1	+ -
Lazar has been out of action due to a lower-body ailment, but it is expected that he will return to the lineup for Thursday's clash with the Capitals.
Nathan Bastian (RW)	Prob Tues	Upper Body - 14 / 03 / 23	13-15	16-11-1	+ -
Bastian has been sidelined due to an upper-body injury, but he is expected to return against the Penguins on Tuesday.
Miles Wood (LW)	Out indefinitely	Undisclosed - 14 / 03 / 23	13-15	16-11-1	+ -
Wood is out of commission due to an unlisted issue, and he is without a definitive timetable for recovery.
Miles Wood (LW)	Ques Thurs	Undisclosed - 07 / 03 / 23	14-18	18-13-1	+ -
Wood exited the last contest with an unknown injury, and it has not yet been confirmed whether he will be available Thursday against the Capitals.
Timo Meier (RW)	Out indefinitely	Upper Body - 26 / 02 / 23	16-19	21-13-1	+ -
Meier is sidelined due to an upper-body injury, and he will miss an undetermined length of time.
Erik Haula (LW)	Ques Sat	Illness - 25 / 02 / 23	16-20	22-13-1	+ -
Haula is ailing from an illness, and it is unclear if he will take on the Flyers on Saturday.
Mackenzie Blackwood (G)	Early April	Lower Body - 21 / 02 / 23	17-21	23-14-1	+ -
Blackwood has been shifted to the injured reserve list a lower-body ailment, and it is unknown if he will return before the beginning of April.
John Marino (D)	Ques Tues	Illness - 21 / 02 / 23	17-21	23-14-1	+ -
Marino is nursing an illness, leaving his availability for Tuesday's match against the Canadiens uncertain.

Buffalo

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Mattias Samuelsson (D)	out for season	Undisclosed - 13 / 04 / 23	0-2	1-1	+ -
Samuelsson will sit out the remainder of the 2022-23 season due to an unspecified injury.
Craig Anderson (G)	Prob Thurs	Upper Body - 28 / 03 / 23	5-4	4-4-1	+ -
Anderson has been sidelined with an upper-body ailment, but it is anticipated that he will return against the Senators on Thursday.
Vinnie Hinostroza (LW)	Out indefinitely	Personal - 23 / 03 / 23	7-5	6-5-1	+ -
Hinostroza is out of the lineup while dealing with a personal matter, and team officials have not yet provided an exact return date.
Jordan Greenway (LW)	Ques Mon	Upper Body - 20 / 03 / 23	7-6	7-5-1	+ -
Greenway has been held out of the last three games due to an upper-body injury, and it has yet to be confirmed if he will face the Canadiens on Monday.
Eric Comrie (G)	Prob Fri	Lower Body - 12 / 03 / 23	10-7	9-6-2	+ -
Comrie has been out of action due to a lower-body ailment, but it is predicted he will return to the ice against the Devils on Friday.
Mattias Samuelsson (D)	Ques Fri	Upper Body - 12 / 03 / 23	10-7	9-6-2	+ -
Samuelsson has been sidelined with an upper-body injury, and it has yet to be established if he will be available for Friday's matchup against the Rangers.
Mattias Samuelsson (D)	Ques Thurs	Upper Body - 06 / 03 / 23	13-8	11-8-2	+ -
Samuelsson has been held out of the previous two contests due to an upper-body injury, and it is up in the air if he will dress for Thursday's showdown versus the Stars.
Riley Stillman (D)	Ques Thurs	Upper Body - 04 / 03 / 23	13-9	12-8-2	+ -
Stillman has missed the previous two games with an upper-body injury, and it remains to be seen if he will suit up versus the Stars on Thursday.
Alex Tuch (RW)	Late March	Lower Body - 25 / 02 / 23	15-10	14-9-2	+ -
Tuch has wound up on the injured reserve list with a lower-body issue, and he is not likely to return until the latter part of March.
Kale Clague (D)	Ques Fri	Lower Body - 20 / 02 / 23	17-11	16-10-2	+ -
Clague has been absent from the last two games due to a lower-body injury, and it is unknown if he will suit up against the Panthers on Friday.