Carolina Hurricanes vs Buffalo Sabres: Odds, Puck Line, and Total
The Carolina Hurricanes could be on the cusp of something great. NHL fans couldn’t have anticipated that the Buffalo Sabres, set to face off with the visiting Hurricanes at 7…
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 27: Jalen Chatfield #5 of the Carolina Hurricanes defends Rasmus Dahlin #26 of the Buffalo Sabres during the third period of the game at Lenovo Center on February 27, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
The Carolina Hurricanes could be on the cusp of something great. NHL fans couldn't have anticipated that the Buffalo Sabres, set to face off with the visiting Hurricanes at 7 p.m. tonight, would become a major hurdle in the Canes' latest quest.
Buffalo is two games below .500 and not a betting favorite to beat Carolina. But the Sabres are improving like crazy down the home stretch, even as management blushes at the success that could hurt the club's NHL Draft position. Buffalo battered Boston 6-3 on Sunday to run its winning streak to four games, sniper Tage Thompson scoring a hat trick for the Sabres on the same day that he agreed to join Team USA's contingent for 2025's World Championships in Sweden.
Is a top-three playoff seed motivation enough for Carolina to curtail Buffalo's hot streak? There can't be many "Sweep, Caroline" serenades at Lenovo Center unless the Canes earn a home-ice advantage in Game 4s.
Spread
- Hurricanes -1.5 (+140)
- Sabres +1.5 (-155)
Moneyline
- Hurricanes -180
- Sabres +161
Total
- OVER 6.5 (+104)
- UNDER 6.5 (-117)
*The above data was collected on April 8, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Carolina Hurricanes vs Buffalo Sabres Betting Trends
- The total has gone OVER in four of Carolina's last five games.
- Carolina is 16-4 in its last 20 games against Buffalo.
- The Carolina Hurricanes are 1-4 in their last five games in Buffalo.
- The total has gone OVER in five of Buffalo's last six games.
- Buffalo is 7-1 in the last eight games.
- The Buffalo Sabres are 6-0 in their last six games at home.
Carolina Hurricanes vs Buffalo Sabres Injury Reports
Carolina Hurricanes
- Centerman Jordan Staal is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
- Left winger Andrei Svechnikov is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
- Centerman Jesperi Kotkaniemi is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
Buffalo Sabres
- Centerman Tyson Kozak is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Carolina Hurricanes vs Buffalo Sabres Predictions and Picks
Sportsbook odds on the Hurricanes-Sabres game's scoring are not accurate, showing that Vegas doesn't always vibe the ebb-and-flow of a hockey season. Buffalo is playing out-of-character in April victories that are meaningless in the standings unless the Sabres are playing spoiler to contending opponents. Still, a game's total is best determined by what the superior team's playbook is. Carolina is a stingy-checking team that's allowed just over 200 goals in nearly 80 games.
Carolina's gap control has suffered in the Hurricanes' two-game skid. That can be blamed on fast-paced games against Montreal, Washington, Detroit, and the New York Islanders. A road date in Buffalo gives Carolina a shot to mend the blue-line problems and focus on shutting the hot Sabres offense down.
Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News reports that Carolina skaters "Jordan Staal, Andrei Svechnikov and William Carrier all were on the ice for (Monday) practice." That's great news for the Hurricanes, but those returning names won't skate extended minutes in Buffalo, and they won't cheat low in the offensive zone with Thompson lurking on counterattacks. Pick the low side of a bloated O/U total, and you'll win with goals to spare if the Hurricanes recall what their team is all about.
