Buffalo Sabres vs St. Louis Blues Prediction, 12/29/2024 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Buffalo Sabres vs St. Louis Blues

Date: Sunday, December 29, 2024

Location: Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO

TV: Fanduel Sports Network

Odds/Point Spread: Sabres (+150) Blues (-182)

Enterprise Center is the location where the St. Louis Blues (16-16-4) will attempt to defeat the Buffalo Sabres (12-19-4) on Sunday. The odds on this game have the Sabres at +150 while the Blues are at -182. The betting total is set at 6.5.

The Buffalo Sabres went home feeling good about their game by earning a 7-1 victory over the Islanders in their previous game. The Sabres had a good offensive outing in the win. In the game, they tallied a score on 7 out of the 25 shots they looked to score on. Moreover, they had 3 power play attempts and were able to net 1 goal. Buffalo accumulated 8 penalty minutes for this game.

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Buffalo Sabres opponents have earned 113 power play tries (6th in professional hockey) and have scored 26 goals in those attempts. The Sabres have seen 1,016 shots tried against them and have earned a save percentage of .883. Buffalo has attempted 960 shots and is the owner of a shooting percentage of 10.7%. While at even strength, the Sabres have surrendered 93 goals while notching 88 on offense. Buffalo steps onto the ice with 102 power play opportunities and they have added 15 goals out of those chances, garnering them a rate of 14.71%. For the season, they have recorded 28 points and their points % is .400. In regard to their scoring capabilities, the Buffalo Sabres have accumulated 103 goals (19th in pro hockey) over the course of the season and have given up 119.

The player in the crease for this game is Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. From the beginning of his pro career to now, Luukkonen has accumulated 66 quality starts and his percentage for quality starts is .550. He has a save percentage of .902 in his 5,768 minutes on the ice. Luukkonen has seen 3,609 shot attempts against him and has garnered 3,256 total saves. The opposition has scored 353 goals versus Luukkonen in his NHL career and his goals against average per contest is 3.67. He has compiled an overall record of 56-52-13 and got the start in 120 games. Luukkonen has taken the ice for 124 games during his hockey career.

Their last time out, St. Louis went up against the Red Wings in a game where the Blues took home the win by a score of 4-0. They had 2 opportunities on the power play in this game but weren't able to finish one of them with a goal. The Blues tallied 4 goals of the 21 shots on goal they pursued.

St. Louis has tried 939 shots (25th in pro hockey) and has a shot percentage of 9.58%, while allowing their opponents 1,031 shots. They have a penalty kill percentage of 76.92% on their opponents 91 tries on the power play, and their save percentage is currently 89.6%. They have earned 79 power play chances and they have earned a power play percentage of 15.19%. The Blues have 78 goals at even strength and 12 goals (31st in professional hockey) while on the power play. They have granted a total of 107 goals to be scored by way of 86 goals at even strength and 21 goals while they were shorthanded. So far this season, the St. Louis Blues have 90 goals, 36 points, in addition to a points percentage of .500.

Across the ice you will find Jordan Binnington defending the net. His opposition is averaging 3.05 goals/game and he has surrendered 828 goals in total. Binnington's quality start percentage comes out to 53.0% and he has 158 quality starts in his NHL career. He has made the start in 298 contests and has played 16,300 mins. Binnington is the owner of a lifetime record of 154-107-34 and has been in net for 306 games. He is sitting with 8,068 stops out of the 8,896 shots taken, which gives him a save % of .907.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh's Pick: Take Buffalo (+150)

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