March 31, 2026, 6:48 a.m. ET

The New York Islanders (42-28-5) and the Buffalo Sabres (45-21-8) meet Tuesday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze NHL odds around the Islanders vs. Sabres and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.

Season series: Sabres lead 2-0

Buffalo won 5-0 as light favorites (-115) as the Under (6.5) cashed in the most recent meeting Jan. 24 at UBS Arena. The Sabres won the first meeting in Buffalo 3-2 in a shootout as moderate favorites (-180) as the Under (6.5) also cashed.

New York occupies third place in the Metropolitan Division, 1 point back of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The second-place team earns home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs, so it’s huge to be in second. New York is also 3 points clear of the Philadelphia Flyers for the third spot, and the Isles have played 2 more games.

With 8 games remaining, the Sabres are tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning with 98 points, most in the Eastern Conference, along with the Carolina Hurricanes. However, both the Canes and Lightning have a game in hand on the Sabres.

The Isles lost 8-3 to the Penguins Monday, as G Ilya Sorokin was blasted for 7 goals on 28 shots before giving way to David Rittich in the third period. C Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist in the losing effort. The Islanders are just 3-4-0 in the past 7 games, with the Over going 3-1 in the past 4 outings.

The Sabres edged the Seattle Kraken 3-2 in a shootout Saturday as heavy favorites (-190) as the Under (6.5) cashed behind G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who stopped 32 of 34 shots. The Sabres are still just 1-1-2 in the past 4 games, with the Over going 3-1 in the span.

Watch the NHL on Fubo!Islanders at Sabres odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:34 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Islanders +165 (bet $100 to win $165) | Sabres -200 (bet $200 to win $100)Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Islanders +1.5 (-145) | Sabres -1.5 (+118)Over/Under (O/U): 6 (O: -118 | U: -102)Islanders at Sabres projected goalies

Ilya Sorokin (27-19-2, 2.63 GAA, .909 SV%, 6 SO) vs. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (18-8-3, 2.57 GAA, .909 SV%, 1 SO)

Sorokin was buried last time out, giving way to Rittich in the third period. It wouldn’t be stunning at all to see Rittich tabbed with the start, either. He is 14-9-3 with a 2.78 GAA and .894 SV% with 2 SO. Rittich might not be the best option, though, as he allowed 4 goals on 20 shots in a 5-0 loss against Buffalo on Jan. 24.

UPL allowed just 2 goals on 34 shots in 3-2 SOW against the Kraken last time out. He is 5-1-1 with a 2.41 GAA and .920 SV% with 1 SO in 7 March starts. He hasn’t faced the Islanders this season, but is 3-1-0 with a 1.52 GAA in 4 career starts vs. them.

Islanders at Sabres picks and predictionsPrediction

Islanders 3, Sabres 2

The ISLANDERS (+165) are worth a roll of the dice as underdogs in this road matchup and potential playoff preview.

New York is playing well, and perhaps slightly better than Buffalo lately. While Sorokin was shaky against the Pens, that’s the only concern. Overall, his body of work is strong. The Isles are too good of a value to pass on, and the Sabres are priced just too high.

The ISLANDERS +1.5 (-145) aren’t priced out of line if you want a little insurance, and you just can’t bring yourself to back them to win straight up.

New York is 3-2-0 in the past 5 games, and 3-2-0 in the past 5 on the road, too. Meanwhile, the Sabres are 1-1-2 in the past 4 outings, leaving 4 out of 8 points on the ice in the span.

UNDER 6 (-102) is the lean, but go with a half-unit play at best.

Be careful, as the Over is 3-1 in the past 4 games for the Islanders. However, the Under has a 6-4 edge in the past 10 outings.

For the Sabres, the Under cashed last time out, while going 6-3 in the past 9 games, and 11-6 in the previous 17 outings.

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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