Alex Tuch and Mathew Barzal will be leading the charge for the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders, respectively, when the two teams clash on Saturday, Dec. 20 at KeyBank Center, with the puck dropping at 5 p.m. ET. Here is everything you need to know to know about the Sabres-Islanders game, from the puck lined, moneyline, total Over/Under and expert picks, as well as TV channel and streaming information.
Sabres vs. Islanders Game Information and TV Channel
- When: Saturday, December 20, 2025 at 5 p.m. ET
- Where: KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York
- TV: ESPN+
- Live Boxscore: FOX Sports
| Favorite | Puck Line | Favorite Puck Line Odds | Underdog Puck Line Odds | Total | Over Total Odds | Under Total Odds | Favorite Moneyline | Underdog Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabres | -1.5 | 145 | -175 | 6.5 | 105 | -125 | -180 | +150 |
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Sabres vs. Islanders Prediction
ATS Pick: Islanders (+ 1.5)
O/U Pick: Under (6.5)
Score Prediction: Sabres 4 - Islanders 3
Sabres vs. Islanders Betting Insights
- Buffalo and its opponent have combined to score more than 6.5 goals in 16 of 33 games this season.
- New York has played 15 games this season with over 6.5 goals.
- These two teams are scoring 5.9 goals per game between them, 0.6 fewer than this game's over/under.
- These teams concede 6.2 goals per game combined, 0.3 fewer than this game's total.
- The Islanders are 19th in the league in goals scored, compared to the 18th-ranked Sabres.
- This game features the league's 11th-ranked (Islanders) and 23rd-ranked (Sabres) teams in terms of defense.
Sabres Stats
- The Sabres' 101 total goals (3.1 per game) make them the 18th-ranked scoring team in the NHL.
- Buffalo has allowed 112 total goals (3.4 per game), ranking 23rd in league action in goals against.
- They have the league's 25th-ranked goal differential at -11.
- The 21 power-play goals Buffalo has scored this season rank 13th in the NHL (on 104 chances).
- The Sabres' 20.19% power-play conversion rate ranks 14th in the league.
- Buffalo has scored three shorthanded goals this season.
Sabres Leaders
| Name | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Giveaways | Takeaways | Faceoff Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tage Thompson | 33 | 17 | 13 | 30 | 31 | 13 | 47.3% |
| Alex Tuch | 32 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 22 | 12 | 44.8% |
| Rasmus Dahlin | 30 | 3 | 23 | 26 | 58 | 16 | - |
| Josh Doan | 33 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 28 | 25 | 44.4% |
| Ryan McLeod | 33 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 31 | 10 | 44.4% |
Sabres Player Props
Islanders Stats
- With 100 goals (2.9 per game), the Islanders have the NHL's 19th-ranked offense.
- New York concedes 2.8 goals per game (97 total), which ranks 11th in the league.
- Their +3 goal differential is ninth-best in the league.
- New York has 18 power-play goals (19th in NHL) on 113 chances.
- The Islanders' power-play percentage (15.93) ranks them 25th in the league.
- New York has scored five shorthanded goals (third in league).
Islanders Leaders
| Name | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Giveaways | Takeaways | Faceoff Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bo Horvat | 32 | 19 | 12 | 31 | 38 | 7 | 58.1% |
| Mathew Barzal | 34 | 9 | 18 | 27 | 38 | 16 | 36.5% |
| Matthew Schaefer | 35 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 45 | 17 | - |
| Anders Lee | 35 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 15 | 8 | 55.3% |
| Kyle Palmieri | 25 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 18 | 8 | 50% |
Islanders Player Props
FOX Sports created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
