Two bottom-feeders face off in Buffalo as the struggling San Jose Sharks take on the Sabres. Buffalo has won eight of the last ten meetings, but with shaky goaltending on both sides and suspect defenses, is the Over the best bet in this matchup?
Betting Odds & Key Trends
Spread: Buffalo -1.5 (+105)
Total: 6.0 (o -130 / u +100)
San Jose ATS Record: 38-24 (one of the best ATS records despite a losing record)
Buffalo ATS Record: 29-30 (below average ATS performance)
Head-to-Head: Buffalo is 8-2 in the last ten matchups
San Jose’s Last 10 Games: 3-5-2 (SU), 5-5 (ATS)
Buffalo’s Last 10 Games: 4-6-0 (SU), 5-5 (ATS)
Matchup Breakdown
San Jose Sharks Analysis
San Jose’s season has been a disaster, but they’ve been solid against the spread (38-24 ATS). Their offense ranks near the bottom of the league in goals per game (2.56), and their defense has been even worse, allowing 3.41 goals per contest.
Goaltending has been a major issue. Alexandar Georgiev (.878 SV%) and Vitek Vanecek (.882 SV%) have struggled, and neither has shown the ability to steal games. With Buffalo’s offensive weapons, San Jose will need to keep up in a high-scoring affair.
Buffalo Sabres Analysis
Buffalo’s record is underwhelming, but they have a 15-13-3 home record, which is respectable. However, their goaltending situation is just as problematic as San Jose’s. With Devon Levi in the minors, Buffalo is rolling with a rotation of inconsistent netminders.
The Sabres allow just under 29 shots per game, but with a weak penalty kill (76.67%), they give up costly goals. The offense is inconsistent, but when clicking, they are capable of lighting up weak defenses—San Jose certainly qualifies.
