NHL Rangers vs Sabres Picks and Odds | December 11, 2024

Written by: Nick Zanghi

Published: Tue Dec 10, 2024, 11:30 pm ET

Read Time: 5 minutes

nhl

FINAL

New York Rangers

Buffalo Sabres

See Picks & Statistics For The Game

We have the forgotten New York hockey team from up north vs the mecca. The Sabres will host the Rangers tonight at the KeyBank Center. It will be the 2nd time these 2 teams play each other. Buffalo won the 1st game 6-1.

The Rangers have been struggling as of late. They are 14-12-1 on the year and 4th in the Metro Division but are 2-8-0 in their last 10 games. New York comes into this game on a 2-game losing streak after just losing to Chicago Monday night.

New York plays well on offense, ranking 12th in goals scored and 6th in shots on goal per game. Their power play is decent, ranking 13th and they're 3rd in faceoffs won. Defensively, they are very leaky, allowing the 4th most shots on goal per game.

Goalie Igor Shesterkin is expected in net tonight. He is 9-10-1 this season with a 2.95 GAA and a .910 save percentage. Shesterkin hasn't looked like the Vezina trophy winner he was a few years back but still has time to turn it around.

Buffalo will look to end their 7-game losing streak at home

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal.

The struggle is real in Buffalo if you're a hockey team. Buffalo is 11-13-4 so far and are 7th in the Atlantic Division. The 7-game losing streak in just looming over their heads every day that goes by.

Over their last 10 games, they are 3-4-3 and have a home record of 6-8-3. Nothing is really coming together for the Sabres this season. They rank middle of the pack in the league for goals and shots on goal per game, but their power play is 3rd worst in the league.

On defense they are towards the bottom of the league for goals allowed and shots on goal allowed per game. When you allow as many goals as you score per game, it makes things a little difficult, so they'll need to change that.

Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to get the start. He is 8-7-3 this season with a 2.82 GAA and a .902 save percentage. The Rangers will definitely be a tough test for him tonight. Let's check out the odds and get into the picks.

New York Rangers vs Buffalo Sabres Betting Odds and Game Information

Rangers vs Sabres Betting Odds

Puck Line

New York Rangers -1.5 (+176)
Buffalo Sabres +1.5 (-220)

Moneyline

New York Rangers -137
Buffalo Sabres +114

Totals

Over 6.5 (+112)
Under 6.5 (-138)

Odds courtesy of BetOnline – Get 50% up to $1000 on your first deposit

Rangers vs Sabres Game Information

Venue: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
Date: Wednesday December 11, 2024
Puck Drop: 7pm EST
TV: TNT, TruTV

New York Rangers vs Buffalo Sabres Prediction and Picks

New York Rangers players celebrate after scoring a goal.

Rangers vs Sabres Picks and Predictions: New York Rangers Moneyline (-137) Get 50% up to $1000 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

Give me the Rangers in this spot. They're coming off 2 losses and the last one to the Blackhawks was a bad one. This is a great bounce back spot for them vs a team that is struggling worse.

New York would really need to get out to an early lead so they can get comfortable. It should be a very lose game with a lot of goals. The last 2 games they played, both games had 7 goals each. Makes me definitely lean the over in this game.

The Rangers are also going to need to support Shesterkin. Keeping the shot count down for him is going to be key. The Sabres are really struggling, so I see this as a good chance for the Rangers to win a game that they play complete. Meaning being the better team on offense and defense.

Artemi Panarin has been playing out of his mind. I like for him to get 4 or more shots on goal. He is just coming off a game where he had 7. I also like for him to record a point, but it will be very juiced, so pair it with his 3 or more shots on goal.