Buffalo vs Islanders: the Islanders to Gain the Important Two Points

The Islanders lost to Buffalo in their last two head-to-head meetings at the KeyBank Center. Will Barry Trotz's team win on such a tough road trip? Check the teams’ conditions and expert betting tips. Several betting options are available!

Buffalo

Buffalo has another mediocre regular season. The Sabres have no cup ambitions, and it's unlikely they were serious about them. Lately, however, the Blue and Yellow have ended the losing streaks. Don Granato's team has won three times in the previous seven meetings, but we don't overestimate their importance since their opponents were unsuccessful Philadelphia, Arizona, and Montreal. Buffalo sits only in the penultimate place in the Eastern Conference standings, ahead of the Canadiens.

Islanders

The Islanders continue to overcome desperately to make the playoffs. It started for the Islanders with a long road trip, as the home arena was not yet ready for the start of the season. Then the players got into trouble with the covid-protocols. Nevertheless, Barry Trotz's wards began to get out of the crisis, giving several wins. However, the schedule of New York became too hot because of the postponements. Now they are tired and slowed down. The Islanders have won only twice in their last seven meetings, remaining in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Expert Betting Tips

The Islanders and Buffalo have had a disappointing regular season. Still, the Sabres look hopeless, while the Islanders are still fighting to get into the playoffs. The New York club occupies 11th place in the standings, and they have only played 42 games - significantly fewer than most of their competitors. Based on this, the motivation of Barry Trotz's wards in this game will be much higher and their skill level, so we bet on the victory of the Islanders.

We shouldn't expect plenty of goals from the upcoming confrontation. The thing is that the Islanders are currently living with an inflexible calendar, as several games have been postponed. The physical condition of the Islanders is far from ideal, and it is necessary to gain points. Barry Trotz's team will focus on defense and achieve a victory. The Sabres do not have enough strength to make their opponents play offensively. With this in mind, a total under 5.5 seems to be the best option for the prediction.

Mathew Barzal is a key player who has spent the Islanders his entire career with the team. In the current season, the Canadian has played in 39 games in which he scored 30 points (11 goals + 19 assists), making him the team's leading scorer. The New York team is not in the best form, but the leader should lead his teammates. In this situation, it is worth looking at a bet on the total over 0.5 by Mathew Barzal.