Sabres vs. Stars: Projected Lines, Betting Odds, How to Watch & More 4/9/24

The Buffalo Sabres [37-36-5] are on the road to take on the Dallas Stars [49-20-9] Tuesday. The Stars are the top team in the Western Conference with a 68.6% point percentage. The Sabres are holding on to the last glimmer of hope, with a 0.1% chance at the playoffs. They can max out at 87 standings points on the season after Saturday’s loss in Detroit.

Must Read: Early Mishaps Cost Sabres in 3-1 Loss to Red Wings

How to Watch

Gametime: 8:00 p.m. ET

Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, NY)

TV: MSG (Buffalo); BSSWX (Dallas)

Stream: MSG+

Radio: WGR550

The Sabres

After a couple of facial injuries to Jacob Bryson and Owen Power on Saturday, the Sabres’ blueline will be back to full strength against the Stars according to Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. Lance also reported that Zemgus Girgensons will return to the lineup, getting the Buffalo lineup completely healthy again (aside from Mattias Samuelsson).

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will backstop the team as he’s done so often in 2024. There’s no doubt that Luukkonen’s been the team’s MVP this season, ranking seventh in the entire NHL with 21.3 goals saved above expected per Evolving-Hockey.

The Stars

There’s a buzz in Dallas, as there should be with a team as deep as the Stars are. Superstar goalie Jake Oettinger has been average this season and it hasn’t mattered. The Stars have eight 20-goal scorers spread across three forward lines. Top prospect Logan Stankoven has six goals and 14 points in only 20 games with the team.

The Stars even called up the AHL’s leading scorer and their other top prospect, Mavrik Bourque, and can’t find a spot for him in the lineup. They’re one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, and for good reason.

Injury Report

Buffalo

• Mattias Samuelsson (Upper Body) Out For Season [IR]

Dallas

• Jani Hakanpaa (Lower Body) Out
• Evgeny Dadonov (Lower Body) Out [IR]

Projected Lines

Buffalo Sabres

JJ Peterka – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch

Zach Benson – Dylan Cozens – Jack Quinn

Jeff Skinner – Peyton Krebs – Jordan Greenway

Zemgus Girgensons – Tyson Jost – Lukas Rousek

Owen Power – Rasmus Dahlin

Bowen Byram – Henri Jokiharju

Jacob Bryson – Connor Clifton

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Confirmed)

Lineup Source: Lance Lysowski, The Buffalo News

Goalie Source: Lance Lysowski, The Buffalo News

Dallas Stars

Jason Robertson – Roope Hintz – Joe Pavelski

Mason Marchment – Matt Duchene – Tyler Seguin

Jamie Benn – Wyatt Johnston – Logan Stankoven

Radek Faksa – Sam Steel – Craig Smith

Thomas Harley – Miro Heiskanen

Esa Lindell – Chris Tanev

Ryan Suter – Nils Lundkvist

Jake Oettinger (Confirmed)

Lineup Source: Mike Heika, Dallas Stars

Goalie Source: Mike Heika, Dallas Stars

Betting Breakdown

In the betting space, we’re not concerned about playoff chances and who’s the better team as much as we are concerned with finding the best edge on the market. The PuckLuck model helps lay that out for us, as they give the Sabres a 38% chance of winning on Tuesday against the Stars.

The sportsbooks list a consensus of +195 for Buffalo to win, implying a 34% chance. Due to this, the Sabres are a good bet today on either the moneyline or puckline (spread).

If you prefer to bet the game totals, this game is not a good one to wager. The projected goal total of 6.06 almost directly mirrors what the sportsbook set the total at (six).

For more betting analysis across the NHL, head over to PuckLuck.com.

*PuckLuck.com provides data related to gambling and cannot guarantee the success of any suggested or related wagers. Please gamble responsibly.*