Detroit vs Buffalo: The Red and Whites to break their losing streak

Detroit defeated Buffalo in both head-to-head encounters in the current regular season. Will Don Granato's team be able to avoid another defeat now? We predict that the Red Wings will be stronger again!

In the last few years, Detroit played the role of a hopeless NHL outsider, who did not even try to interfere in the fight for a playoff spot, but in the regular season, the situation has changed. Michigan started the season strong, and their ambition to advance to the cup battles was clear, but now they are again in trouble. In their last 13 games, Jeff Blashill's team lost ten games to three defeats and lost badly. With the Red Wings now sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings, it's time to pick up their pace to avoid losing everything they gained in the past.

Buffalo are another hopeless underdog of the last decade in the NHL, but they have yet to even hint at overcoming their crisis and intervening in playoff contention. The Blades' 4-1 win against Nashville last week was hardly the beginning of a resurgence, although it was a sensation. After all, the West's leader was swatted. Alas, before this game, the Blue and Yellows had a six-game losing streak, and even before that, they had spoiled themselves with extended periods of bad luck. Now, Don Granato's side sits just 14th in the Eastern Conference standings, with their chances of qualifying for the cup battles roughly nil.

Detroit and Buffalo approach the encounter in a bad state. If you take the stretch in the last 13 matches, both teams were able to get exactly three wins in them with ten defeats. Before that, the Red Wings have been doing very well, so they're still in contention for a playoff spot, while the Sabres have been in terrible shape all season, and they're currently among the outsiders, without any real tournament motivation. Moreover, the Red and Whites have won both of their ties this season, which begs 1.87 on Detroit to win.

In recent games, Detroit and Buffalo are weak, often losing, so they have no reason to start a face-off with a flurry of attacks suddenly. On the contrary, their opponents are not in the best mood. They lack energy and excitement, which bodes well for a cautious opening game in which the Red Wings and Sabres will be waiting for each other's mistakes. The first period of the last scrimmage between the opponents was a scoreless one, so even now, a Total Under 0.5 goal by the tenth minute for 2.10 would seem to be a good option for our prediction.

Detroit and Buffalo are opponents of a comparable level, so a face-off for them is a great chance to win at least some points to improve the tournament position. In such a situation, it is unlikely that the Red Wings and Sabres will suddenly decide to arrange a bright and open confrontation. Still, it is much more important to play carefully to achieve a positive result. Moreover, their head-to-head encounters are seldom goal-rich, so a bet on Total Under 5.5 pucks for 2.05 might be worth considering.