Sabres vs Hurricanes Prediction, Picks & Player Props for Monday’s MLK Day Matchup

• The Hurricanes are -192 moneyline favorites to open MLK Day against the Sabres
• Buffalo has seen the Over cash in 7 straight games during their recent surge
• See my Sabres vs Hurricanes prediction, props, and projected lineups below

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The Buffalo Sabres (26-16-5) head to Raleigh for an afternoon showdown with the Carolina Hurricanes (30-15-4) to kick off Monday’s MLK Day slate. Both teams are coming off wins and sitting comfortably in playoff spots.

Buffalo enters winners in 15 of their last 18 games. Carolina bounced back from a shutout loss to St. Louis with a dominant 4-1 victory over New Jersey on Saturday.

The Hurricanes sit first in the Metropolitan Division with 64 points, while the Sabres are fifth in the Atlantic with 57 points. Puck drop is set for 1:30 PM ET from Lenovo Center with TNT providing the broadcast coverage.

Keep reading for my Sabres vs Hurricanes prediction, along with player prop picks and projected lineups.

Sabres vs Hurricanes Prediction

• Pick: Over 6.5 Goals (+100 at Caesars)

Brady Trettenero

Sports Betting Dime • January 19, 2026 at 8:39am

Pick

Odds

Over +6.5

Over/Under

NHL • Buffalo Sabres @ Carolina Hurricanes

100 on Caesars

SCHEDULED • 01/19/2026

See all 1 picks

Betslip #1768811963294-481c-661

I’m riding the Over in this one, and the numbers back it up. The Sabres have hit the Over in 7 straight games, which is exactly the kind of run I pay attention to when handicapping totals.

Buffalo is averaging 3.28 goals per game (9th in the NHL) while allowing 3.15 (22nd). That’s not exactly lockdown defense, and it’s been worse lately with the Over cashing in their last 8 overall games.

Wild win it in OT. pic.twitter.com/mCRdIvQipQ

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) January 17, 2026

Carolina scores even more at 3.41 per game (3rd), and the Hurricanes have been in high-scoring affairs at home. The Over is 7-0-1 in their last 8 home games against Atlantic Division opponents, and it’s 6-0-1 in their last 7 when facing teams that allowed 5+ goals in their previous game.

Speaking of which, the Sabres just allowed 5 goals in an OT loss to Minnesota on Friday. That fits the trend perfectly.

Both goalies have been solid but not spectacular. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen posts a .901 save percentage and 2.72 GAA for Buffalo, while Brandon Bussi is at .905 and 2.25 for Carolina. Neither has recorded a shutout this season.

The head-to-head history in Raleigh is basically a cheat code for Over bettors. The Over is 21-6-2 in the last 29 meetings at Lenovo Center. These two teams combine for 6.7 goals per game this season, which sits right above the total.

BUF vs CAR Key Stats

The special teams matchup favors Carolina slightly on the power play at 21.5% compared to Buffalo’s 19.6%. Buffalo does have the edge on the penalty kill at 83.1% (6th in the NHL) versus Carolina’s 79.4%.

Both teams are in their last 10, with Buffalo going 7-2-1 and Carolina at 6-3-1. The season series is tied 1-1, with Carolina winning 6-3 in November and Buffalo winning 4-1 later that month. After a lower-scoring affair last time out, I expect this rivalry to get back to the offensive fireworks.

Sabres vs Hurricanes Props Picks

Brady Trettenero

Sports Betting Dime • January 19, 2026 at 10:02am

Pick

Odds

Over +2.5

Player Prop

NHL • Buffalo Sabres @ Carolina Hurricanes

-156 on FanDuel

SCHEDULED • 01/19/2026

See all 3 picks

Betslip #1768816964641-481c-730

I’ve locked in three Sabres vs Hurricanes player prop picks for Monday’s NHL showdown:

• Tage Thompson Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-156 at FanDuel)

Thompson has been rolling lately, putting up 11 goals and 12 assists over his last 18 games with points in 15 of those contests. He’s averaging 3.5 shots per game on the season with 165 shots through 47 games.

He just had a hat trick and two assists against Montreal, bringing his 200th career goal. He’s riding a six-game, 12-point scoring streak with 16 shots over that stretch.

Carolina allows 24.29 shots per game (1st in the NHL), but Thompson gets his looks regardless, with over 19 minutes of ice time per night. The juice is steep at -156, but I’m comfortable laying it given his recent play.

• Sebastian Aho Over 0.5 Assists (-105 at BetMGM)

Aho leads Carolina with 17 goals and 50 points through 49 games, with 33 assists on the season. He’s been distributing the puck consistently, dishing out seven assists in his last four games.

And Sebastian Aho had the primary assist on all three of Andrei Svechnikov's goals tonight 🍎🍎🍎 https://t.co/NPcZsLBMOL pic.twitter.com/McPU4UYJqG

— NHL (@NHL) January 18, 2026

He just plated three assists against New Jersey on Saturday, setting up his linemates on Carolina’s top unit. Aho is carrying 19:44 of ice time per night and 3:14 on the power play, where he’s the primary distributor.

Buffalo allows 29.57 shots per game (14th in the NHL), which should create plenty of chances for Aho to set up his teammates. At -105, this is solid value for a guy who’s been setting up goals consistently.

• Andrei Svechnikov Anytime Goal Scorer (+180 at FanDuel)

Svechnikov just potted a hat trick against New Jersey on Saturday and has four goals in his last five games. He’s got 16 goals and 40 points through 49 games this season.

He’s sitting at 137 shots through 49 games (2.8 shots per game) and recorded that hat trick just two days ago, placing four shots on net in the blowout win. He’s playing on Carolina’s top line with Aho and Jarvis.

When a guy is this hot, you ride him. At +180, there’s solid value on Svechnikov finding the back of the net against a Buffalo defense that’s allowed 3.15 goals per game.

Sabres vs Hurricanes Odds

The Hurricanes are -192 moneyline favorites at home, which translates to a 65.8% implied win probability. You’d need to wager $192 to win $100 on Carolina, while a $100 bet on the underdog Sabres returns $158.

The total sits at 6.5 goals, with the Over priced at +100 at Caesars (even money) and the Under at -120. Carolina is -1.5 on the puck line at +124, while Buffalo gets 1.5 goals at -152.

Updated odds via Caesars Sportsbook as of 10:00 a.m. ET on Jan. 19. Get in on Monday’s NHL action with the Caesars promo code.

Sabres vs Hurricanes Projected Lineups

Buffalo Projected Lineup

Forwards

Zach Benson – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch

Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn

Konsta Helenius – Noah Ostlund – Josh Doan

Peyton Krebs – Tyson Kozak – Beck Malenstyn

Defense

Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus Dahlin

Bowen Byram – Owen Power

Michael Kesselring – Zach Metsa

Goaltenders

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Alex Lyon

Injuries: Josh Norris (upper body, week-to-week), Josh Dunne (middle body), Conor Timmins (broken leg), Jiri Kulich (blood clot), Justin Danforth (lower body)

Scratched: Jordan Greenway, Jacob Bryson, Colten Ellis

Carolina Projected Lineup

Forwards

Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis

Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake

Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook

Eric Robinson – Mark Jankowski – Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Defense

Jaccob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield

K’Andre Miller – Sean Walker

Mike Reilly – Alexander Nikishin

Goaltenders

Brandon Bussi

Frederik Andersen

Injuries: Pyotr Kochetkov (lower body, out for season), Noah Philp (concussion), William Carrier (undisclosed), Shayne Gostisbehere (illness, day-to-day)

Scratched: William Carrier, Mike Reilly