Florida Panthers vs Buffalo Sabres Picks and Predictions April 12th 2025

Florida Panthers vs Buffalo Sabres April 12th 2025

Making on a bet on this NHL game featuring the Sabres versus the Panthers? The puck drops at 6:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, FL. The over/under for this game is set at 6 goals, and the Panthers are favored by -1.5 against the Sabres in a Atlantic division matchup.

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Buffalo vs. Florida Key Information

• Teams: Sabres at Panthers
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena Sunrise
• Date: Saturday, April 12th
• Betting Odds FLA -211 | BUF +177 O/U 6

The Sabres Can Win If…

With a 2-1 loss to the Red Wings, the Sabres fell to 35-37-6 this season. Buffalo took an early lead with a short-handed goal from Alex Tuch, but Detroit responded with two power-play goals in the second period to secure the win.

The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, but the teams combined for just 3. As underdogs on the puck line, the Sabres failed to cover. Buffalo’s offense struggled, despite outshooting the Red Wings 32-23.

Buffalo’s offense took 32 shots on goal but only managed to score once in their 2-1 loss to Detroit. Alex Tuch netted his 5th goal of the season, which came shorthanded at 8:21 in the first period.

The Sabres had 13 giveaways and didn’t record any assists in the game. After Tuch’s early goal, they were unable to find the net in the second and third periods.

Buffalo’s defense had a strong start, not allowing a goal until the 7:49 mark of the second period. However, they gave up two power-play goals in the second, which proved to be the difference. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen finished with 21 saves and a 91.3% save percentage. The Sabres’ defense also had 5 takeaways and 17 hits.

• Buffalo has put together a record of 2-1 over their past three games. The team has also been excellent vs the spread, going 3-0. Their over-under record in these games was 1-2.
• Through their last ten regular season contests, Buffalo has a record of 8-2. Their record vs the puck line sits at 9-1 in these matchups, while posting a 6-4 over-under mark.

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The Panthers Can Win If…

Florida improved to 46-29-4 with a 4-2 win over the Stars. The Panthers covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 6 goals fell just short of the 6.5-goal line.

All four of Florida’s goals came from different players. Evan Rodrigues scored first at 5:15 in the opening period. The Panthers led 2-0 before the Stars tied it, but A.J. Greer broke the tie at 2:32 in the third period, and Sam Reinhart added an empty-net goal to seal the win.

In their 4-2 win over the Stars, the Panthers had four different players find the net. A.J. Greer scored his first goal of the season, while Sam Reinhart added his 10th on an empty net. Matthew Tkachuk netted his third goal, and Evan Rodrigues opened the scoring for the Panthers.

Carolina took 25 shots on goal and scored once on a power play. The Panthers recorded 16 giveaways and picked up 6 assists on their four goals.

Defensively, the Panthers allowed two goals, both coming in the second period. Spencer Knight made 23 saves with a 92% save percentage. Florida’s defense also contributed 8 takeaways, 22 hits, and 16 blocks.

• Through their last three games, the Panthers have a record of 2-1. Their strong play has also resulted in an puck line mark of 3-0 (last 3). They had an over/under mark of 0-3 in those same games.
• Over their last ten regular season games, the Panthers have gone 4-6 straight up. Across these games, their puck line record was just 4-6, while posting an over-under record of 3-7.

The Lean

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Sabres to defeat the Panthers while playing on the road. Given the current moneyline odds at +177, I’m placing a wager on the Sabres to win outright.

Our projections have the Sabres pulling out a win as the underdog. But if you’re not as bullish as we are on the Sabres, we’d recommend at least getting a bet down on them to cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

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Panthers Look to Climb in Atlantic Against Visiting Sabres

After snapping out of a frustrating five-game skid, the Florida Panthers are heating up again—and they’ll look to continue their push up the Atlantic Division standings when they host the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.

Florida (46-29-4, 96 points) has recorded back-to-back wins, defeating Toronto 3-1 on Tuesday and Detroit 4-1 on Thursday, pulling within a point of the Tampa Bay Lightning for second place in the Atlantic. With Tampa holding a game in hand, every point down the stretch is critical for playoff seeding.

“I’m having a lot of fun right now… It’s fun to be part of a winning group,”

– Brad Marchand on adjusting to Florida after joining from Boston at the trade deadline.

Marchand scored his first goal with the Panthers on Thursday, adding to the strong chemistry developing with his new teammates. The veteran winger has 68 career points (27G, 41A) in 65 games against the Sabres—his highest totals against any NHL team.

Coach Paul Maurice also reached a milestone with Thursday’s win, earning his 915th career victory to pass Barry Trotz for third-most in NHL history.

“He really knows what to give us… when to push us and when to lay off us,”

– Evan Rodrigues on Paul Maurice’s leadership.

Looking to cash in on this late-season matchup? Check out our top NHL picks and predictions before puck drop.

Buffalo (35-37-6, 76 points) enters Saturday looking to bounce back after a 3-2 loss to Columbus that ended a season-high five-game win streak. The Sabres jumped out to a 2-0 lead but were shut down in the final two periods.

“I thought it was a winnable game… We created a lot and I think we could have scored a couple more,”

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– Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin on Thursday’s loss.

JJ Peterka continued his breakout season with his 25th goal, and Alex Tuch emphasized the team’s drive to help coach Lindy Ruff hit a major milestone—his next win will be his 900th, making him just the fifth coach in NHL history to reach that mark.

“He’s had a lot of success in this league… to help him achieve that goal means the world to our group,”

– Tuch on Ruff approaching 900 wins.

The Panthers are back in playoff form and surging at the right time. The Sabres, eliminated from postseason contention, are now playing for pride—and for their coach’s historic milestone.