The Toronto Maple Leafs (20-10-2) will look to extend their winning streak to three games when they visit the Buffalo Sabres (11-17-4) at KeyBank Center on Friday night.
The Maple Leafs enter the contest riding high after a convincing 5-3 victory over the Dallas Stars, with William Nylander contributing two goals and Joseph Woll making 38 saves in a stellar performance.
Meanwhile, the Sabres are desperately seeking to snap an eleven-game winless streak, their longest drought of the season, having most recently suffered a 6-1 defeat against the Montreal Canadiens.
The matchup presents a stark contrast in recent form, with Toronto winning seven of their last ten games while maintaining the NHL's fifth-best goals-against average, compared to Buffalo's struggling offense that ranks 22nd in goals per game.
Recent history favors the Maple Leafs, who have won their last three meetings against the Sabres, including a 5-3 victory in their most recent encounter.
Both teams are dealing with significant injuries, as the Sabres miss key players like Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson, while the Maple Leafs continue to adapt without David Kampf and Max Domi in their lineup.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Toronto Maple Leafs: who will win?
For tonight's Buffalo Sabres vs Toronto Maple Leafs matchup, our predictive model gives the Leafs a 71.67% chance of defeating the Sabres.
Toronto Maple Leafs: 71.67% win probability
- Strong overall record (20-10 in 32 games played)
- Superior goal differential (+13, scoring 97 while allowing 84)
- Excellent recent form (WWLWW in last 5 games)
Buffalo Sabres: 28.33% win probability
- Poor overall record (11-17 in 32 games played)
- Negative goal differential (-17, allowing 110 while scoring 93)
- Worst current form in division (LLLLL in last 5 games)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts. Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Toronto Maple Leafs odds
| Buffalo Sabres | Toronto Maple Leafs | |
|---|---|---|
| moneyline | +143 (via Caesars Sportsbook) | -160 (via bet365 US) |
Key stats
- 1The Buffalo Sabres have won 11 out of 32 matches this season.
- 2The Toronto Maple Leafs have won 20 out of 32 matches this season.
- 3With 26 points, the Buffalo Sabres holds the 16th position in the league standings.
- 4Toronto Maple Leafs's 42 points place them 3rd in the rankings.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Toronto Maple Leafs form
Buffalo Sabres vs. Toronto Maple Leafs head to head
Buffalo Sabres
33%
Toronto Maple Leafs
67%
Dec 15, 2024
Toronto Maple Leafs
5 : 3
Buffalo Sabres
Mar 30, 2024
Buffalo Sabres
0 : 3
Toronto Maple Leafs
Mar 7, 2024
Toronto Maple Leafs
2 : 1
Buffalo Sabres
Dec 22, 2023
Buffalo Sabres
9 : 3
Toronto Maple Leafs
Nov 4, 2023
Toronto Maple Leafs
4 : 6
Buffalo Sabres
Sep 27, 2023
Toronto Maple Leafs
5 : 2
Buffalo Sabres
