Buffalo vs NY Islanders Prediction: the Slight Difference in the Stats is Crucial

Prediction for the NHL Buffalo Sabres vs NY Islanders match, which will take place on January 20th. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

Buffalo is having one of their best seasons. Most recently, they claimed six victories and were close to the playoffs but ended up in another slump. In the last six meetings, Don Granato's team had five losses, getting only one victory over Nashville - 5-3. One more point they earned the day before losing in overtime to Chicago - 3-4. Such a bad stretch caused the Blues and Yellows to drop to 11th place in the standings, and their chances of reaching the top eight dropped sharply. The good news is that Buffalo has a pretty good schedule where they can still gain points.

This season is also challenging for the Islanders, so they risk missing out on the cup battles again. A year ago, there were objective reasons for that. They began the season with a long away series, and the coronavirus interfered with their plans, but now there are no such things. Nevertheless, the results leave much to be desired. Lane Lambert's wards couldn't earn any points four times in the last seven meetings. Also, they lost to Dallas and Washington and won over Montreal, 2-1, falling to ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

Buffalo and the Islanders have been opposite recently, but they have become comparable teams this season. The gap between them in the Eastern Conference standings is just one point, and in their last six games, they have had precisely one win and five losses. Everything points to a hard-fought and intriguing rivalry. Still, the Sabres' stats scream in their favor, as they've won four of their last five meetings and haven't lost four home matches.

The Islanders are a closed team, and defensive reliability is their top priority. Nevertheless, against Buffalo, they often played effectively and spectacularly. In the last eight meetings, the opponents have shot 55 goals (6.88 average per game). Also, they reached a total over seven times (88%) during that stretch. 

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