Buffalo Sabres vs. Washington Capitals odds, tips and betting trends

Data Skrive

Updated March 12, 2026, 5:52 p.m. ET

Mar 8, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) celebrates his goal with teammates during the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at KeyBank Center.

A pair of Eastern Conference teams take the ice when the second-place Buffalo Sabres (40-19-6) host the 12th-place Washington Capitals (32-27-7) at KeyBank Center on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.

Buffalo earned a 6-3 home victory against the San Jose Sharks in its last game on March 10.

Washington’s last game was a road loss, 4-1, against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 11.

As hockey play continues, prepare for the contest with everything you need to know about Thursday’s game.

Watch Sabres vs. Capitals on ESPN+!Buffalo Sabres vs. Washington Capitals odds and betting lines

NHL odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Thursday at 5:52 p.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

Favorite: Sabres (-215)Underdog: Capitals (+177)Over/under: 6.5Sabres vs. Capitals game info and start timeDate: Thursday, March 12, 2026Time: 7 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPN+Live stream: Watch on ESPN+Watch Sabres vs. Capitals on ESPN+!Sabres stats and trendsBuffalo has won 19 of its 29 games as a favorite this season.The Sabres have not played a game this season with their moneyline odds less than -215.There is a 68.3% chance that Buffalo wins this contest, per the moneyline.Buffalo and its opponent have gone over the current 6.5-goal total in 31 of 65 games this season.In the past 10 games, the Sabres are 8-1-1 (85.0% of possible points).They are scoring at a 4.1 goals-per-game average (41 total) during that stretch.On the defensive side, the Sabres have given up 2.8 goals per game (28 total) over those 10 outings.Capitals stats and trendsThis season the Capitals have six wins in the 20 games in which they’ve been an underdog.Washington has not been a bigger underdog on the moneyline than the +177 odds on them winning this game.The Capitals have a 36.1% chance to win this game (implied from the moneyline).So far this season, 40.9% of Washington’s games (27/66) have had more goals than Thursday’s over/under of 6.5.Over the past 10 contests, the Capitals have claimed 75.0% of the possible points with a 5-5-0 record.They have scored 29 goals during that stretch.Over on the defensive end, the Capitals have given up 2.4 goals per game (24 total) over those 10 outings.

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