Lightning vs. Sabres NHL Predictions, Picks and Odds - March 8

A pair of the Eastern Conference's top clubs meet on Sunday, March 8 when the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning (39-18-4) visit the third-place Buffalo Sabres (38-19-6). The Sabres are underdogs despite being the hosts, at +105, and the Lightning are -125.

Tampa Bay grabbed a 5-2 victory on the road its last time out on March 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Nikita Kucherov led the Lightning with four points (four assists).

Buffalo won its most recent game 3-2 at home against the Nashville Predators on March 7. Rasmus Dahlin (one assist) and Jack Quinn (one assist) were among the eight Sabres skaters who put up one point each in that outing.

Before watching this matchup, here's a glimpse at which squad we pick to bring home the victory in Sunday's action on the ice.

Lightning vs. Sabres Predictions & Pick

Ahead of the upcoming game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres, computer-derived moneyline, over/under, and score predictions are below, sourced from Dunkel Index.

• Prediction: Lightning 4 - Sabres 3
• Pick OU: Over 6.5 (Dunkel projecting 6.91 goals)
  

Pick with the best in the business! Get free picks for every game, every week at the Dunkel Index.

Lightning vs. Sabres Moneylines

Snag a look below at the latest moneylines for the Lightning-Sabres game.

• Favorite: Lightning (-125)
• Underdog: Sabres (+105)

Lightning Betting Insights

• The Lightning are 32-18 when favored on the moneyline this season.
• In games it has played with moneyline odds of -125 or shorter, Tampa Bay is 29-16 (winning 64.4% of the time).
• The Lightning's implied moneyline win probability is 55.6% in this matchup.
• Tampa Bay and its opponent have gone over 6.5 combined goals in 27 of 61 games this season.

Sabres Betting Insights

• This season the Sabres have been an underdog 32 times, and won 19, or 59.4%, of those games.
• Buffalo is 13-10 this season when entering a game as the underdog by +105 or more on the moneyline.
• Oddsmakers have implied, given the moneyline set for this matchup, that the Sabres have a 48.8% chance to win.
• Buffalo and its opponent have combined to score over 6.5 goals in 29 of 63 games this season.

Lightning Key Stats

• Tampa Bay's 212 total goals (3.5 per game) make it the sixth-highest scoring team in the league.
• The Lightning have allowed 162 total goals (2.7 per game), ranking second in league play for the fewest goals against.
• Its goal differential (+50) makes the team second-best in the league.
• The 41 power-play goals the Lightning have scored this season (to rank 13th in the NHL) have come on 192 power-play chances.
• Tampa Bay ranks 13th in the league with a 21.35% power-play conversion rate.
• The three shorthanded goals the Lightning have scored this season rank 23rd among NHL teams.
• Tampa Bay has the league's third-best penalty-kill percentage (83.42%).
• Tampa Bay wins 47% of its faceoffs to rank 29th in the NHL.
• The Lightning have a 12.2% shooting percentage as a team, which ranks fourth in the league.

Sabres Key Stats

• With 214 goals (3.4 per game), Buffalo has the NHL's fifth-best offense.
• The Sabres have allowed 186 total goals this season (3.0 per game), 11th in the league.
• Its +28 goal differential is the seventh-best in the league.
• The Sabres have 37 power-play goals (on 189 chances), 16th in the NHL.
• Buffalo scores on 19.58% of its power plays, No. 19 in the NHL.
• The Sabres have a league-leading nine shorthanded goals.
• Buffalo's has the fifth-best penalty-kill percentage (83.14%).
• At 44.9%, Buffalo has the league's 32nd-ranked faceoff win rate.
• The Sabres' 12.2% shooting percentage is fourth in the league.