NHL Sabres vs Panthers Picks and Odds, March 8, 2025

Sam Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk of the Panthers

After a busy day yesterday, we have some hockey in new look Florida. The Buffalo Sabres are in town to take on the new look Florida Panthers. These 2 teams played back earlier in the season and the Panthers won by a score of 5-2. L

Florida just made a splash yesterday by trading a bag of chip and a soda to the Bruins for their captain, Brad Marchand. Marchand is a seasoned veteran who brings more championship culture to the team. He also brings 21 goals and 26 assists with him, although we won’t see him tonight as he is out with an upper body injury.

The Panthers are 39-21-3 and 1st in the Atlantic Division. They’re currently on a 5-game winning streak, are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games and 21-10-2 at home this season. This team is firing on all cylinders and having their new addition should turn the heat up.

As we know, the team is stacked on offense, ranking in the top 10 of the league for goals scored and shots on goal per game. Their defense is just as good, ranking in the top 10 for goals allowed and shots on goal allowed per game. Florida has decent special teams, ranking 13th for power play and 12th in penalty kill.

Goalie Vitek Vanecek will be in net tonight, giving Sergei Bobrovsky a rest. Vanecek is 3-10-3 this season with a 3.50 GAA and a .882 save percentage. He is now the backup goalie after Spencer Knight was shipped out before the trade deadline.

Can the Sabres manage to contend with the red-hot Panthers?

Buffalo Sabres forward Jason Zucker reacts after scoring a goal on the Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

The Sabres are 24-31-6 this season and are last in the Atlantic Division. They come into this game on a 5-game winning streak and are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games. Buffalo 9-17-3 on the road so far and 5-9-2 on divisional matchups.

Buffalo finds the back on the net at least. They rank 11th in goals scored, averaging just over 3 goals per game. The Sabres don’t shoot that much, ranking 20th in the league with 28 shots per game, but are accurate with the 5th best shooting percentage in the league.

On defense, they’re terrible. They’re the 3rd worst team in the league for goals allowed and rank 20th for shots on goal allowed per game. Their special teams aren’t great on either end of the ice, ranking 27th in power play conversion and 19th in penalty kill.

Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will be in net tonight. He is 20-19-4 this season with a 3.14 GAA and a .890 save percentage. Luukkonen will have his work cut out for him against this pesky Panthers offense. Let’s check out the odds and get into the picks.

Buffalo Sabres vs Florida Panthers Betting Odds and Game Information

Sabres vs Panthers Betting Odds

Puck Line

Buffalo Sabres +1.5 (-122)
Florida Panthers -1.5 (+100)

Moneyline

Buffalo Sabres +198
Florida Panthers -280

Totals

Over 6.5 (-108)
Under 6.5 (-112)

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

Sabres vs Panthers Game Information

Venue: Amerant Bank, Sunrise, FL
Date: Saturday March 8, 2025
Puck Drop: 6pm EST
TV: MSG-B, SCRIPPS

Buffalo Sabres vs Florida Panthers Prediction and Picks

The Panthers players line up to celebrate with their goalie after winning the game.

Sabres vs Panthers Picks and Predictions: Florida Panthers Spread -1.5 (+100) Get 50% up to $1000 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

I see the Panthers extending that win streak to 6 games. I think we also see a beatdown where Florida wins by multiple goals. We’re getting even money on the spread as well, which how can we be mad at that?!

This Panthers team is too stacked on offense for the Sabres. Guys like Sam Bennett and Sasha Barkov will continue to orchestrate this offense. I expect Sam Reinhart to be firing against his former team. I’ll be taking his 3 or more shots on goal for -110. I also be sprinkling his goal for +135.

Even though he’s juiced at -165, Sam Bennett for 3 or more shots on goal is another great look. Guys hits vs the Sabres at a 91% clip and hitting 80% in his last 10 games. The man is on a mission since the 4 Nations tourney and now’s his time to shine with Tkachuk and Marchand out.

I expect Luukkonen to get peppered in this game. He hit above the 27.5 saves in his last 2 away games vs Florida and hit the mark in his last 3 out of 4 games. The Panthers should crush these guys, and they will be shooting the puck plenty.