Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Buffalo Sabres Prediction, NHL Odds
Tim Horton’s Field in Hamilton Ontario will host the 35th regular-season outdoor game in NHL history. Situated almost halfway between Toronto and Buffalo, it will be the Sabres who get home-ice advantage. The puck drops at 4 PM EST Sunday.
The Maple Leafs are favourites to win on the NHL odds.
Maple Leafs vs. Sabres NHL Betting Odds
The season series between the Atlantic Division rivals is tied at one game apiece. Buffalo embarrassed Toronto 5-1 on their home ice on March 2 to even up the series. Jeff Skinner leads all scorers in points in the head-to-head, putting up three goals and two assists in two games. The Over/Under is split. Buffalo has covered in both games.
The Leafs and Sabres are no strangers to outdoor games, appearing in their third and fourth games respectably. Toronto is 2-1 all-time on the pond, beating Detroit in 2014 and 2017, both times in a shootout. The Sabres track record is 0-2, losing to the Penguins in 2008 and Rangers in 2018.
The Leafs past five games have been pure chaos. They have gone 2-2-1, only covering the spread once, with all five games featuring at least six goals and the Over playing 4-1. None of those opponents were sitting in a playoff spot.
Buffalo’s five games in March have gone pretty well. They have managed three upset wins and kept things low scoring, going 1-4 on the Over/Under.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs dragged themselves back from down 4-1 in the third period to force overtime Thursday night versus the Arizona Coyotes. Their luck ran out halfway through OT though, as the Coyotes won 5-4 to complete the season series sweep.
Auston Matthews added to his NHL goal lead with his 44th of the year. The Arizona native is red hot with seven snipes in his last four games.
With starting goalie Jack Campbell out at least two weeks, Petr Mrazek got the start Thursday. He was pulled halfway through the game after allowing four goals on 12 shots, leading to 25-year-old Erik Kallgren’s NHL debut. Kallgren stopped 10 of 11 shots, but Mrazek is set to return to the crease for Sunday’s Heritage Classic.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres won an intense 3-1 game Thursday night, sending former captain Jack Eichel and the Golden Knights back to Vegas without a point.
Peyton Krebs and Alex Tuch, who both came to Buffalo via the Eichel trade, scored against their former team, making the victory that much sweeter. Veteran netminder Craig Anderson turned away 30 shots to pick up career win No. 300.
Kyle Okposo has been looking forward to playing under the sky all year. This will be his third career outdoor game and second with Buffalo. The 33-year-old is still chasing his first win on the pond but has picked up two points.
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