Rasmus Dahlin and Matthew Schaefer will be leading the way for the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders, respectively, when the two teams play on Saturday, Dec. 20 at KeyBank Center, with the puck dropping at 5 p.m. ET. Take a look at everything you need 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 | 164 | -198 | 6.5 | 105 | -125 | -142 | +120 |
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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
- In 16 of 33 matches this season, Buffalo and its opponent have combined for more than 6.5 goals.
- New York has played 15 games this season that finished with more than 6.5 goals.
- These teams average 5.9 goals per match combined, 0.6 less than this game's total.
- These teams give up 6.2 goals per game combined, 0.3 fewer than this game's over/under.
- The Islanders are 19th in the league in goals scored, compared to the 18th-ranked Sabres.
- The Sabres are 23rd in the league in goals conceded, and the Islanders are 11th.
Sabres Stats
- The Sabres' 101 total goals (3.1 per game) make them the 18th-ranked scoring team in the league.
- Defensively, Buffalo has given up 112 total goals (3.4 per game) to rank 23rd in league action.
- Their goal differential (-11) ranks 25th in the league.
- The 21 power-play goals Buffalo has recorded 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% |
| Jack Quinn | 33 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 30 | 7 | 27.3% |
Islanders Stats
- The Islanders' 100 goals on the season (2.9 per game) rank them 19th in the NHL.
- New York allows 2.8 goals per game (97 total), which ranks 11th in the league.
- Their +3 goal differential is 10th-best in the league.
- With 18 power-play goals (on 113 chances), New York ranks 19th in the NHL.
- The Islanders' power-play percentage (15.93) puts them 25th in the league.
- This season, New York has 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% |
FOX Sports created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
