Fighting for their playoff lives, the Buffalo Sabres face a difficult matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday. Here's sports betting analyst Scott Cullen's top NHL pick based on the best NHL odds.
With losses in four straight games, the Sabres have little margin for error. They sit seven points behind the New York Islanders for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and while they have three games in hand, catching the Isles will be a tall task.
The Maple Leafs won 7-4 against Edmonton on Saturday and are in second place in the Atlantic Division with 88 points in 65 games. Toronto is four points ahead of Tampa Bay in two fewer games and has the inside track on home-ice advantage in what will likely be a first-round playoff rematch with the Lightning.
Here is our best Sabres vs. Maple Leafs NHL pic k (odds via FanDuel; pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Sabres vs. Maple Leafs pick
The Sabres are better when they get out on the road.
Buffalo is a dismal 13-18-3 at KeyBank Arena in 2022-23 – and that .426 points percentage on home ice is tied with the Chicago Blackhawks for 28th. That's hardly becoming for a team with playoff hopes.
However, the Sabres are an incredible 19-10-2 on the road – and that .645 points percentage ranks eighth. On top of that, they've suffered a multi-goal loss just four times in their past 23 road contests, so even when they don't win, they are usually competitive.
The Sabres won't have it easy in Toronto. The Maple Leafs have a 24-6-4 record at Scotiabank Arena and their .765 home points percentage ranks second behind only the powerhouse Boston Bruins. But the Leafs have recorded “only” n ine multi-goal victories in their last 20 home games, for those Sabres bettors looking for a glimmer of hope.
There is value in the puck line for the Sabres given their road success. An outright win is a bigger ask (+205 at FanDuel) against a strong Maple Leafs squad, which is why even the puck line is still a three-star selection – but Buffalo should be competitive enough to cover the spread.
Check out our latest Hart Trophy odds.
Sabres vs. Maple Leafs best odds
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | PointsBet |
| Sabres +1.5 | Sabres +1.5 | Sabres +1.5 | Sabres +1.5 | Sabres +1.5 |
| -115 | -113 | -115 | -120 | -121 |
There is some variance in pricing among our best sportsbooks, with FanDuel offering the best puck line number for the Sabres at +1.5 (-113), coming in just ahead of DraftKings at -115. BetMGM and Caesars are at -120 with PointsBet bringing up the rear.
Check out our Rocket Richard Trophy odds and Norris Trophy odds.
Sabres vs. Maple Leafs odds
Check out our Calder Trophy odds.
Sabres vs. Maple Leafs odds analysis
FanDuel opened with the Maple Leafs as significant favorites at -240, compared to the Sabres at +195.
With 72% of the consensus moneyline wagers on Toronto, the line continues to move. The Maple Leafs are now at -255 and the Sabres are at +205.
The total opened at 6.5, with opening odds at -142 for the Over and +116 for the Under. There was a brief moment when the total spiked as high as 7.5, but has returned to 6.5. With 53% of the wagers on the Over, the price is now -164 for the Over and +134 for the Under.
Those are steep odds at 6.5 and the rest of our top sportsbooks already have the total at 7, so FanDuel could move it up at any moment.
Sabres vs. Maple Leafs game info
- Date: Monday, March 13, 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN+, Sportsnet, TVAS, MSG-B
- Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
Sabres-Maple Leafs pick made 3/13/2023 at 11:15 a.m. ET.
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