The pesky Calgary Flames have won four of their past six games and are still holding onto a Wild Card spot by the skin of their teeth.
They have an opportunity to earn themselves some breathing room — or at least ensure they don’t give up any ground — with a strong performance against the NHL’s 30th place team tonight.
My Sabres vs. Flames predictions see a few veterans leading the way offensively for the home team. Let’s break things down further with my NHL picks for January 23.
Flames vs Sabres prediction
My Flames pick
Jonathan Huberdeau Over 0.5 points (-140 at BET99)
My Flames analysis
Jonathan Huberdeau has quietly been very productive of late. He has hit the scoresheet in 13 of his past 20 games, which equates to a rock-solid 65% hit rate.
Huberdeau has produced 18 points over that span, tying the likes of Mark Stone, Jordan Kyrou, Tage Thompson, and Cale Makar. That’s good company to be keeping.
He has a juicy matchup in front of him as he looks to build on a strong run of form. The Buffalo Sabres have really struggled in their own zone of late, bleeding shots and goals on a nightly basis. The Sabres are tied with the San Jose Sharks in shots allowed over the last 10 games — that’s never a good thing — and have conceded more goals than all but the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins.
They are giving up far too many quality opportunities, and they just don’t have the goaltending to compensate. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen owns a sub .900 SV% on the season and has held opponents to fewer than three goals in consecutive starts only once since the beginning of December.
The Calgary Flames rank 10th in shot-generation at 5v5 over the past 10 games. They’ve also controlled the eighth-highest share, giving them an edge against a Sabres team that sits 24th over that same period of play. Huberdeau % Co. should spend a lot of time on the front foot, providing ample opportunity to create offense against a defense prone to breakdowns.
Huberdeau has hit the scoresheet in 10 straight games against the Sabres and has produced 15 points along the way. Look for him to extend his point streak on home soil.
Flames vs Sabres same-game parlay (SGP)
Jonathan Huberdeau Over 0.5 points
Nazem Kadri Over 0.5 points
Rasmus Andersson Over 1.5 shots
Nazem Kadri was held pointless during Calgary’s four-game road trip. I like his chances of getting right back on track at home against Buffalo.
Kadri has done his best work on home soil all season long. He’s hit the scoresheet in 61% of games in Calgary compared to just 45% on the road.
He is skating on a line with Huberdeau at 5v5 and the Flames look to have a decisive edge in that gamestate.
Rasmus Andersson has multiple shots in 58% of his games this season and we’ve seen an uptick in his shot volume of late, averaging 5.3 attempts over his last 10.
Andersson has recorded multiple shots at a 71% clip when generating at least four attempts. That’s not a high bar to clear given the Sabres have allowed the seventh-most shots to defensemen over the past 10 games.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Flames vs Sabres odds
Flames vs Sabres live odds
Flames vs Sabres opening odds
- Puck line: Calgary -1.5 | Buffalo +1.5
- Moneyline: Calgary -130 | Buffalo +116
- Over/Under: Over 6 (+105) | Under 6 (-120)
Odds courtesy of BET99
Flames vs Sabres trend
Jonathan Huberdeau has points in eight of his last 11 home games. Find more NHL betting trends for Flames vs. Sabres.
How to watch Flames vs Sabres
| Location | Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB |
| Date | Thursday, 1-23-2025 |
| Puck drop | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | SN1 |
Flames vs Sabres latest injuries
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