Welcome to today’s edition of NHL Predictions presented by us folks at Last Word on Hockey! Each day we take a look at games across the league and do our best to predict the outcome of the game. Of course, no prediction is complete with looking at the prop bets. But all in due time! It is getting colder, which means the NHL season is heating up! Today’s prediction takes us to the state of New York, where the Buffalo Sabres are hosting the St. Louis Blues.
NHL Predictions
St. Louis Blues vs. Buffalo Sabres
Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: ESPN+, Hulu
The Blues and Sabres meet for the first time Thursday. Last year, the Blue Note won both games to sweep the season series. Interestingly enough, the teams have not split the season series since the 2019-2o season. In addition to last year, the Blues have swept the season series an additional time, while the Sabres have done it just once. It will be interesting to see if the season sweep trend continues this year. Of course, that will not be a question that is answered Thursday night.
The two teams do not have much of an on-ice history. However, the two teams have become familiar with each other when it comes to trade negotiations, although Sabres fans may like to forget. Since 2011, the Blues and Sabres have completed three trades that have been made with the intent of a team getting more talent for a Stanley Cup run. In 2011, the Sabres acquired Brad Boyes, a former 43-goal scorer, from the Blue Note. Jumping ahead to 2014, the Blues acquired 2010 Olympic hero Ryan Miller to improve their goaltending situation. Unfortunately for the Blue Note, the trade did not work out. However, the biggest trade came in the summer of 2018 when the Blues acquired Ryan O’Reilly from the Sabres. A year later, the Blues were Stanley Cup champions, with O’Reilly winning the Conn Smythe trophy.
Blues Feeling Blue
Things are not going well in St. Louis. After a relatively good start to the season, the Blues are 7-9-0 and in the middle of a three-game losing streak. Included in that streak is a 8-1 loss at home and another home loss where the team failed to hold a 2-0 lead in the third period. Between an abundance of injuries and poor play, it is just a rough time to be a Blues fan, player, or coach.
The injury abundance have led to limited reinforcements available for the team. However, the Blues did call up defenceman Leo Loof on Wednesday. At this time, it is unknown if Loof will play in his first NHL game Thursday night. However, it may not be a bad idea to play the youngster to see if it ignites a spark on the team.
Sabres Enjoying Former Blue
The Sabres are 7-8-1 on the season. Things are trending much better at the moment for the Sabres than the Blues. A big reason for this is Tage Thompson. The Sabres acquired Thompson from the Blues in the 2018 O’Reilly trade. The forward has emerged in his time with the Sabres. He currently leads the Sabres with 11 goals and 18 points in 16 games. He is averaging over a point a game at the moment. At this time, it is unknown if Thompson will play, after he left Monday’s loss to Montreal with a lower-body injury.
The Sabres have not made the playoffs since 2011. However, they are just a point back in the playoff hunt at this time. Of course, there is still a lot of season left. Ff the Sabres can continue to pick up points and stay in the chase, it will be interesting to see how they handle the trade deadline.
Prediction
They say a losing streak is close to being over once you lose a game that you felt like you should have won. A 2-0 lead in the third period certainly seems like it could qualify as one of those games for the Blues. However, it seems there is just too much against them to pick them.
Prediction: Sabres win, 4-1.
Prop Bets
FanDuel has some more fun prop bets for us. The over/under is set a 6.5 goals. We are taking the under with five combined goals.
We are going to have some fun with a specific bet today. Take the bet that that there is no overtime Thursday. The odds are set at -600. For anytime scorers, we are suggesting Tage Thompson for the Sabres. Meanwhile, we are going to pick Oskar Sundqvist as an anytime scorer for the Blue Note.
Main Photo Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Please play responsibly, check for your local rules and age restrictions, some jurisdictions require ages 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
