Buffalo Sabres vs Washington Capitals Prediction: the Sabres have no tournament motivation left

Prediction for the NHL Buffalo Sabres vs Washington Capitals match which will take place on April 12th. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

Buffalo failed to stay in the Cup race until the end of the regular season. Like the previous year, the Sabres fell short of making the playoffs. They didn't get close to the coveted top eight for a long time, but at the turn of March and April, they had a very decent stretch that included four wins in six games. This spurt allowed them to revive the intrigue. Still, in their last two meetings, they lost to Detroit and Dallas, 3:1 and 3:2. With the density on the edge of the playoff, two consecutive games without a point are trouble, so Don Granato's team is in 13th place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Washington suffered from a lack of consistency throughout the regular season. At the turn of the winter and spring, the Capitals still managed to improve their record, and they looked powerful in the second half of March when they won six of seven games. They went on a six-game losing streak, picking up just two points in overtime losses to Boston and Ottawa, both 3:2. Only the day before, they broke the losing streak when they defeated Detroit 2:1. The victory over a direct competitor allowed Spencer Carbery's team to rise to eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Buffalo was a Cup contender for a long time but eventually fell short and lost any chance of making the playoffs. As a result, the Sabres have no tournament motivation left and will take a much-needed break in three games. The situation in Washington is entirely different, as the Capitals are in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings with three chasers. Hence, dropping points is unacceptable for them. Spencer Carbery's wards have been struggling in matchups, but they have no right to lose now. 

Buffalo and Washington's confrontation has been entertaining and productive in recent years. In the seven previous meetings, the rivals combined for 58 pucks (8.23 per game average), which is very high by NHL standards. The bookmaker's over was overcome all seven times, and in six of the seven games, the Sabres and the Capitals scored at least three pucks.