Trent Reinsmith
- What: Buffalo Sabres vs. New Jersey Devils
- Date: Tuesday, April 11, 2023
- Location: Prudential Center in Newark, NJ
- Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: MSGSN, MSG-B ESPN+
The 2023 NHL regular season ends on Friday, April 14. Then, on Monday, April 17, the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin. While many teams have locked in their playoff spot or been eliminated, the Buffalo Sabres remain in the Eastern Conference wild card hunt. As of this writing, the Sabres have 85 points (39-32-7) and trail the Pittsburgh Penguins, NY Islanders, and Florida Panthers in the wild card race, but the Sabres have two games in hand on all three of those teams, so they can still mathematically make the 2023 NHL postseason. Tonight, the Sabres face the New Jersey Devils. With a 50-22-8 record and 108 points, the Devils have secured a spot in the playoffs. The club could still win the Metropolitan Division, as they trail the Carolina Hurricanes by one point in that race. However, Carolina has a game in hand on the Devils.
Buffalo enters tonight’s game with a 6-3-1 record in their past 10 outings. The team has been much better on the road this season with a 23-12-3 record as opposed to its 16-20-4 home numbers. Meanwhile, the Devils are 5-4-1 in their 10 most recent games, and they are 23-13-4 at the Prudential Center.
Before we look at the betting breakdown for tonight’s NHL matchup between the Buffalo Sabres and the NJ Devils, check out our guide to betting on the 2023 Stanley Cup and our tips for betting on the NHL.
Buffalo Sabres vs. New Jersey Devils picks for April 11, 2023
| Teams |  |  |  |
| Buffalo Sabres | +188 | +170 | +170 |
| New Jersey Devils | -210 | -200 | -200 |
Buffalo Sabres breakdown
The 25-year-old Tage Thompson leads the Buffalo Sabres in many ways this season. The former first-round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues has set career highs in points (93), goals (46), assists (47), power-play goals (19), power-play assists (14), and game-winning goals (7). Thompson is also on pace to set career-high marks in shooting percentage, time on ice per game and plus/minus.
Jeff Skinner is the team’s second-highest scorer with 75 points. Skinner, Alex Tuch, and Dylan Cozens join Thompson as Sabres’ players who have netted over 30 goals this year.
Buffalo’s goaltending has struggled this year. The team has a .895 save percentage to go with a 3.64 goals against average.
New Jersey Devils breakdown
The Devils are struggling with consistency at the wrong time of the 2023 NHL season. With the NHL playoffs on the horizon, the Devils have yet to win two games in a row since they put together a three-game winning streak between March 9 and 12. Over the team’s past 10 outings, they have a 5-4-1 record. On a positive note, the team has scored 21 goals in its past five games.
Jack Hughes leads the Devils in scoring this year with 96 points. His 42 goals are also tops on the club. The Devils have two other players with 30 or more goals in Jesper Bratt (32) and Nico Hischier (31).
Vitek Vanecek has a 2.46 goals against average for the Devils to go with a .910 save percentage.
Best bet for Buffalo Sabres vs. New Jersey Devils
The Sabres and Devils are tied 1-1 in their 2023 NHL season series. The teams are playing fairly well as of late, but the Devils have been a very strong home team on the 2023 NHL season, and that could be the difference in tonight’s game. The best bet is to pick the New Jersey Devils to beat the Buffalo Sabres on home ice tonight.
Pick: New Jersey Devils to beat the Buffalo Sabres.
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