Sabres vs. Penguins NHL Predictions, Picks and Odds - March 5

The Buffalo Sabres (36-19-6) visit the Pittsburgh Penguins (31-16-13) on Thursday, March 5, with the Sabres coming off a victory in their last game and the Penguins a loss. The Penguins are slight underdogs, at -105, and the Sabres are -115.

Buffalo earned a 3-2 home victory against the Vegas Golden Knights its last time out on March 3. Rasmus Dahlin's two points (two assists) led the Sabres.

Pittsburgh played on the road in its last game on March 3, and fell 2-1 against the Boston Bruins. The Penguins were led in that outing by Bryan Rust (one assist) and Erik Karlsson (one goal).

To prepare for this matchup, here is who we expect to secure the win in Thursday's hockey contest.

Sabres vs. Penguins Predictions & Pick

For predictions on the upcoming contest between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, computer-derived moneyline, over/under, and score predictions are below, per Dunkel Index.

• Prediction: Sabres 3 - Penguins 2
• Pick OU: Under 6.5 (Dunkel projecting 5.05 goals)
  

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Sabres vs. Penguins Moneylines

Grab a peek below at the latest moneylines for the Sabres-Penguins matchup.

• Favorite: Sabres (-115)
• Underdog: Penguins (-105)

Sabres Betting Insights

• The Sabres have won 61.5% of their games when they've been a moneyline favorite this season (16-10).
• Buffalo is 16-9 (victorious in 64.0% of its games) when playing with moneyline odds of -115 or shorter.
• Based on the moneyline in this matchup, the Sabres' implied win probability is 53.5%.
• Buffalo and its opponent have gone over 6.5 combined goals in 29 of 61 games this season.

Penguins Betting Insights

• The Penguins have been an underdog in 33 games this season, and won 17 (51.5%).
• Pittsburgh has entered 33 games this season as an underdog by -105 or more and is 17-16 in those contests.
• Oddsmakers have implied, given the moneyline set for this matchup, that the Penguins have a 51.2% chance to win.
• Pittsburgh has combined with its opponent to score over 6.5 goals in 29 of 60 games this season.

Sabres Key Stats

• Buffalo has scored the sixth-most goals in the league (206 total, 3.4 per game).
• The Sabres have allowed 183 total goals (three per game), ranking 12th in NHL play in goals against.
• Its goal differential (+23) makes the team eighth-best in the league.
• The 36 power-play goals the Sabres have put up this season rank 16th in the NHL (on 181 power-play chances).
• Buffalo is 16th in the league with a 19.89% power-play conversion rate.
• The seven shorthanded goals the Sabres have scored this season rank second among NHL teams.
• Buffalo kills 82.93% of opponent power plays, the sixth-best penalty-kill percentage in the league.
• Buffalo has the 32nd-ranked faceoff win rate in the NHL, at 44.8%.
• The Sabres have a 12.1% shooting percentage as a team, which ranks fifth in the league.

Penguins Key Stats

• Pittsburgh's 203 goals on the season (3.4 per game) rank 10th in the NHL.
• The Penguins give up 2.8 goals per game (167 in total), the fourth-fewest in the league.
• With a goal differential of +36, the team is fifth-best in the league in that category.
• The Penguins have 42 power-play goals (10th-most in NHL) on 161 chances.
• Pittsburgh scores on 26.09% of its power plays, No. 3 in the league.
• This season, the Penguins have four shorthanded goals (18th in league).
• At 84.57%, Pittsburgh has the second-best penalty-kill percentage in the league.
• Pittsburgh wins 49% of faceoffs, 20th-ranked in the NHL.
• With a shooting percentage of 11.6%, the Penguins are eighth in the league.