NHL
Sports Interaction Staff
October 5, 2017

Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres: NHL Odds, Prediction

The Montreal Canadiens look to erase the memory of a disappointing playoff showing as they kick off the 2017-18 campaign Thursday night against the host Buffalo Sabres. Montreal was the class of the Atlantic Division with 103 points during the regular season but they crashed and burned en route to a first-round exit at the hands of the New York Rangers. The Sabres would love just to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2011.

Canadiens vs. Sabres

Moneyline: Sabres +110
Date: Thursday, October 5, 7:05 p.m. ET
Location: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, N.Y.

Moneyline and Betting Analysis

The Sabres are slight underdogs on Sports Interaction in their season opener, and with good reason; the Canadiens have prevailed in seven of the previous 10 meetings in Buffalo. But bettors believe in the Sabres’ early-season prospects, with 53 percent of Sports Interaction participants picking the Sabres. The teams split their four meetings last season, and four of their last six encounters have been decided by one goal.

Oddsmakers are rolling with a total of five for this one, presumably because of the Sabres’ goal-scoring struggles from last season and the Canadiens employing one of the top goaltenders on the planet in Carey Price. Montreal has played to the under in 16 of its previous 22 road games, going over just three times in that span. Price’s 2.33 GAA and .922 save percentage in October both rank third among his career monthly totals.

Montreal Canadiens

No team in hockey has been more prolific in October than the Canadiens in recent history. Montreal has won 34 of 45 October games since the start of the 2013-14 season and opened last year with eight wins in nine games in the opening month. Six of those victories came by multiple goals, making Thursday’s puckline bet (-1.5, +235) an attractive one. The Canadiens allowed just 14 goals in those nine October games a season ago.

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres locked up franchise star Jack Eichel to an eight-year, $80-million contract this week – and they would love nothing more than to see immediate returns on their investment. Buffalo went 11-6-1 straight-up last season in games in which Eichel had at least one goal, with 13 of those games going over the total. But the 20-year-old has struggled against Montreal over his career, registering just three assists and a minus-4 rating in eight meetings.