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Devils vs. Sabres Prediction, Picks & Odds for Friday's NHL Game

Gary Pearson

Last Updated: October 3, 2024 2:27 PM EDT • 2 min 22 sec read.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson controls against the Pittsburgh Penguins as we offer our Devils vs. Sabres prediction for the season opener.
Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson controls against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Photo by Timothy T. Ludwig via Imagn Images

The puck drops on the 2024-25 NHL regular season with a Global Series matchup in Prague, Czech Republic. The matchup features the New Jersey Devils, who are among the Stanley Cup odds favorites, and the Buffalo Sabres. 

I find the opening contest occurring hours before a rash of preseason encounters about as strange as the Boston Bruins-Jeremy Swayman negotiations. 

But don't mistake my complex for a lack of excitement because I'm about as amped as the Edmonton Oilers were prior to Game 7 of last season's Stanley Cup Final. 

  • The Devils have won seven of the past 10 against the Sabres
  • Vezina Trophy odds hopeful Jacob Markstrom and Jack Adams Award odds favorite Sheldon Keefe make their Devils' debuts
  • One of the Sabres' forwards scored goals at will against the Devils last season

Our Devils vs. Sabres prediction focuses on whether there will be a goals outburst while featuring a player with the best chance of getting on the scoresheet. 

Devils vs. Sabres prediction

Odds via our best NHL betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.

My best bet: Under 6.5 goals ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: -115 via Betway | Implied probability: 53.49%

Devils vs. Sabres affairs are usually riddled with goals. The last five head-to-head and eight of the previous 10 contests resulted in the Over.

But it's time for that trend to take a back seat, at least for the opener. Markstrom allowed more than three goals only once in his first six starts with the Calgary Flames last season.

And he'll be hellbent on proving he's the netminder the Devils have desperately needed to propel to the next level, especially after the team missed last season's playoffs in abject fashion. 

And then there's Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who unequivocally has the best name of all goaltenders.

Luukkonen will want to build on the momentum he gained in the second half of last season when he went 20-14-2 with a 2.31 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage, and four shutouts. 

The -115 odds at Betway will profit $8.70 on a winning $10 bet. 

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Devils vs. Sabres player prop bet

Tage Thompson prop bet: Anytime goalscorer ⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: +162 via Betway | Implied probability: 38.17%

For New Jersey, Tage Thompson represents a force immeasurably more malicious and malignant than a devil. He scored five goals in two games against New Jersey last season, which included a four-goal outburst on March 29. 

Thompson finished last season with only 29 goals in 71 games, a substantial regression from the 47 he netted the previous season.

But what better way to begin a bounce-back campaign than by scoring against a team he has recently scorched?

A winning $10 bet will profit $16.20. 

Devils vs. Sabres live odds & info

  • When: Friday, Oct. 4
  • Puck drop: 1 p.m. ET
  • Where: O2 Arena (Prague, Czech Republic)
  • How to watch: NHL Network, Sportsnet
  • Favorite: Devils -160 via Betway

Devils-Sabres predictions made Thursday at 1 p.m. ET.

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Written By:
Gary Pearson
Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.