The NHL is in full swing and is giving us a 13-game slate on Thursday, January 19, so feel free to check out the best Islanders vs. Sabres betting pick and odds.
Buffalo is hoping to get the third straight win when they host New York at KeyBank Center. The Sabres are -120 moneyline favorites on BetRivers NY Sportsbook, while the total is set at 6 goals. These conference rivals will meet for the first time this season.
Islanders fell short of the Capitals in OT
The New York Islanders (23-18-1-3, 23-22 ATS) are going through their worst period of the campaign right now. They lost five of the last six games; even though they snapped a four-game losing skid with a win over Montreal, the Islanders lost the following game to the Washington Capitals in overtime. The Isles will conclude their five-game homestay with Wednesday’s tilt against Boston and then will face the Sabres in Buffalo on Thursday.
New York had a 3-0 lead against Washington as Sebastian Aho, Matt Martin, and Hudson Fasching scored for the hosts, but not even that lead was enough for the Islanders to get a win. The Capitals responded with three goals, forced overtime, and then secured a W through Dmitri Orlov. Thus far in the season, Mathew Barzal leads the Isles in points with 41 (G 11, A 30), while Brock Nelson is two points behind with 39 points (G 15, A 24).
Ilya Sorokin (15-14-3) is going to start at the goal against the Sabres on Thursday. The 27-year-old is surrendering 2.30 goals per game this year with a .925 SV% and three shutouts.
RW Kyle Palmieri (upper body), D Adam Pelech (upper body), and RW Oliver Wahlstrom (head) are out indefinitely and will not face the Sabres on Thursday.
Sabres lost to the Blackhawks in OT
The Buffalo Sabres (21-19-3-0, 23-20 ATS) are also not playing well recently as they lost five of the previous six games. The Sabres did avoid the fourth consecutive defeat after beating the Predators on the road but then lost the next two games to the Panthers and Blackhawks. Buffalo is struggling offensively in this span; the Sabres scored more than three goals just once.
The Sabres didn’t have a 3-0 lead and lost in OT like the Islanders. They had a 3-1 lead after two periods, but the Blackhawks forced overtime in the final minute of the game and then scored a game-winner through Seth Jones, who also equalized to force OT. Victor Olofsson, Tage Thompson, and Peyton Krebs scored for Buffalo. This year, Thompson leads the team and is the 6th best player in the NHL with 59 points (G 32, A 27). Rasmus Dahlin has 48 (G 13, A 35), Alex Tuch is following him with 47 (G 21, A 26), and Jeff Skinner contributes 43 points (G 18, A 25).
Eric Comrie (4-8-0) is expected to start at the goal against the Islanders on Thursday. The 27-year-old is allowing 3.67 goals per contest this season with a .883 SV% and no shutouts.
Trends:
New York:
1-5 in the last six overall
1-5 in the last six road games
1-5 in the last six Thursday games
Buffalo:
N/A
New York Islanders vs. Buffalo Sabres Pick
Buffalo has the second-best offense in the NHL which averages 3.77 goals per game, while the Islanders are scoring 3.02 goals per contest. New York does have a stronger defense that allows 2.69 gpg, and the Sabres are weaker in that department (3.49 gpg), but the visitors will be playing the second game of a back-to-back set, which is a chance for Buffalo to get a win. Both teams are not in good form at the moment, so this one is anyone’s game. Still, I am going with the Sabres to get an edge as the Isles will lose a lot of energy against Boston on Wednesday.
Pick: Take the Sabres to win (-120)
The Total
Ilya Sorokin is looking to bounce back after conceding four goals against Washington, which was only the third time in 13 games to allow more than three goals. The Sabres have a high-scoring offense, but it is struggling of late and I’d be surprised if the hosts score 4+ against Shesterkin and the Islanders on Friday. New York is not even in the top 20 when it comes to offense, so I don’t expect a high-scoring affair. Under is 5-1 in the Islanders’ last six overall, while Under is 5-1-1 in New York’s previous seven vs. Atlantic Division rivals.
Pick: Go Under 6 goals (-115)
