First Niagara Center hosts an NHL battle between the Buffalo Sabres and the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

Supporters of the Canadiens have seen them go 25-9-5 so far this season, while the Sabres are at 16-18-6. In totals betting, the Sabres are 19-18-3, while the Canadiens are 19-20.



View Montreal vs Buffalo Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The visitors opened as 120 moneyline favorites in this one at most online sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark, including Sportsbook. The total opened at 5 for those preferring over under wagers, watch for the line updates during the day at Sportsbook.

Power Rankings:
The Sabres sit at No. 27 in the current NHL power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Canadiens sit at a No. 2 on the same chart.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Buffalo's No. 16-ranked offense (2.6 goals per game) against a Canadiens defense that ranks No. 6 at 2.4 goals per game allowed. The Sabres Sportsbook has clicked at a 11.9% rate while the Canadiens have a 82.2% rate on the penalty kill.

Montreal lost its last outing, a 3-2 result against the Capitals on April 9. Bettors who backed the Capitals at +142 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (5) sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.

The Sabres were a 4-1 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Jets. That made Sportsbooks of bettors who got Winnipeg at -145 on the moneyline, while the total score (5) was good news for UNDER bettors.


Montreal Canadiens Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
Before playing Toronto are 7-3
After playing Washington are 6-4
After a loss are 8-2

Buffalo Sabres Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 3-7
Before playing Colorado are 8-2
After playing Winnipeg are 4-6
After a loss are 3-7

A few Canadiens at Sabres trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montreal's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Montreal's last 11 games on the road
Montreal is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Montreal's last 19 games when playing Buffalo
Buffalo is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games when playing Montreal
Buffalo is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Buffalo's last 19 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo's last 6 games at home


Next up:
Montreal at Toronto, Saturday, April 13
Buffalo home to Philadelphia, Saturday, April 13