Sabres vs. Lightning Prediction & Odds Tonight: Best Picks and NHL Player Props for March 6

The Tampa Bay Lightning are heating up at the right time, reasserting themselves as Stanley Cup odds contenders with nine wins in their last 10 games.

They’ll look to keep rolling Thursday night at Amalie Arena (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) when they face a Buffalo Sabres squad that has struggled mightily on the road. With Tampa Bay closing in on the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs in the standings, our Lightning vs. Sabres prediction backs the home team to stay hot and add another win to their impressive stretch.

📈 Sabres vs. Lightning odds movement

The Lightning opened -225 by the moneyline for tonight's game. The line has moved further in their direction, with Tampa Bay now sitting between -250 and -260. The public is all over Tampa, too, with 75% of bettors backing the Lightning. 

Sabres vs. Lightning predictions, expert picks & best bets tonight

Here are my best Sabres vs. Lightning predictions, expert picks, and best bets tonight with my pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale. Be sure to check out the rest of our NHL picks along with our guide on how to bet on the NHL.

🚨 Game pick: Lightning -1.5 (+114 via FanDuel) vs. Sabres ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🚨 My best player prop pick: Jake Guentzel 1+ assist (+120 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My best Sabres vs. Lightning pick & score prediction

I predict the Lightning will beat the Sabres in a game with seven or more goals.

🏒 Lightning -1.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's a matchup that is almost too good to be true. Occasionally, these mismatches on paper have a way of transpiring unexpectedly on the ice. I don't think that will be the case in this one, though. 

The Lightning are a storm surge wherever they play, swatting aside all comers with an explosive, high-octane offense and an equally exceptional defense. 

They haven't allowed more than two goals in four straight at Amalie Arena. Andrei Vasilevskiy, who should get the nod after resting last game, is back to his former Vezina Trophy odds-winning ways. Vasilevskiy is 11-3-1 with a .943 save percentage and a 1.74 goals-against average since Jan. 16, all of which are a league-best. 

Offensively, the Lightning have confident and highly motivated weapons throughout the lineup. They score the third-most goals per game on home ice (3.71) and have netted 26 times during their current six-game home win streak. 

Oh, and did I mention the Lightning just acquired Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand from the Seattle Kraken? Yet again, the rich get richer. 

And then there's Buffalo, which has lost five in a row on hostile terrain and four on the bounce overall. With a 9-16-3 record, the Sabres are the fourth-worst road team. Their road points percentage has been even worse since Dec. 31, with the team taking just 27% of available points. 

While it could be one of those games where the Sabres pull off a bewildering upset, no signs are pointing in that direction. 

Best odds: +114 via FanDuel (bet $10 to win $11.40)

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🎯 Final score prediction: Lightning 5, Sabres 2

The Lightning are the hottest team in the league while the Sabres are trending in the opposite direction, which is why I'm backing the Lightning to win 5-2. 

Correct score odds: +1400 via FanDuel (bet $10 to win $140)

Best Sabres vs. Lightning player prop bet

Here is my best Sabres vs. Lightning player prop bet tonight. You can also check out our NEW NHL player prop odds tool for the latest NHL odds on any market across legal sportsbooks in your region.  

💰 Jake Guentzel 1+ assist ⭐⭐⭐⭐

You can pretty much pick any of the Lightning forwards on the first two lines to notch an assist or score a goal, and you'd have a fairly good chance at cashing. I've decided to go with Guentzel to post at least one assist. He's playing alongside Nikita Kucherov, who is making a bonafide Hart Trophy odds claim. 

Guentzel has an assist in four of the last five games and has registered six in the previous seven. He also has four assists in his last four games against the Sabres. bet365 offers the best price of our best sportsbooks, and a $10 bet will profit $12. 

Best odds: +120 via bet365 (bet $10 to win $12)

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Tonight's NHL expert picks

• Sharks vs. Avalanche prediction

📊 Sabres vs. Lightning odds

Here are the latest NHL odds for Sabres vs. Lightning.

🚑 Sabres vs. Lightning injuries

Here is the latest injury report for Sabres vs. Lightning, which updates in real time.

📺 How to watch Sabres vs. Lightning tonight

📅 Date: Thursday, March 6 
🕗 Time: 7 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Amalie Arena (Tampa Bay, Fla.)
📺 TV: ESPN 
💻 Streaming: ESPN+

❓ Sabres vs. Lightning FAQs

Who is favored to win Sabres vs. Lightning?

The Lightning are the giant -250 favorites, and the Sabres are the +202 underdogs. 

What are the odds for Sabres vs. Lightning?

The total is set at 6.5, with the Under at -122, and the Over at +100 via FanDuel 

What time is Sabres vs. Lightning tonight?

Tonight's Sabres vs. Lightning game starts at 7 p.m. ET from Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Fla. 

🥅 Best NHL betting sites

Looking to bet on the NHL tonight? Here are our best NHL betting sites as determined by our expert team at Sportsbook Review, along with our best sportsbook promos ahead of tonight's game.

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