Detroit Red Wings vs Buffalo Sabres Prediction, Preview and Odds - 03/27/2026

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Friday, March 27, 2026

Venue:  KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY 

Where to Watch:  NHL Network

DraftKings:  Moneyline:  Red Wings +130, Sabres -155; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

Bet365:  Moneyline:  Red Wings +130, Sabres -155; Over/Under:  6 goals

BetMGM:  Moneyline:  Red Wings +130, Sabres -155; Over/Under:  6 goals

Detroit Red Wings:  38-25-8 (6th place, Atlantic Division)

Buffalo Sabres:  44-20-8 (1st place, Atlantic Division)

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Detroit Red Wings:  3-5-2 last 10

Buffalo Sabres:  7-1-2 last 10

The Red Wings are entering this game with 84 points, a 38-25-8 record overall, and they are 18-12-5 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Ottawa Senators in their last game, losing that one at home 3-2. Dominik Shine and Dylan Larkin each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, and Simon Edvinsson each led the team in assists with 1 while Moritz Seider led the team in shots on net in that game with 7. John Gibson was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 21 shots with 18 saves and a .857 save percentage. Their offense has scored 207 goals this season averaging 2.9 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 211 goals against them allowing 3 goals per game.

The Sabres are entering this game with 96 points, a 44-20-8 record overall, and they are 22-9-4 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Boston Bruins in their last game, losing that one at home 4-3 in overtime. Jason Zucker led the team in goals scored with 2 while Zach Benson scored 1 goal for them in that one. Tage Thompson led the team in assists with 2 while Jason Zucker led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 4 goals on 31 shots with 27 saves and a .871 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 254 goals this season averaging 3.5 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 211 goals against them allowing 2.9 goals per game.

The current betting odds have the Sabres listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Sabres have looked great in their games this season with their 44-20-8 record overall which has them right at the top of their division in the East with one of the best records in the entire NHL. They have looked great on home ice too with their 22-9-4 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Red Wings have looked good in their games this season with their 38-25-8 record overall, but that record has them in the bottom half of their division in the East. They have been a good road team this year with their 18-12-5 road record. The Red Wings were near the top of their division for a lot of the season, but lately they have looked terrible and that has put them in a position where they could miss the playoffs. They have been sliding down the standings lately as they are now in 6th place in their division and even though they are only 1 point out of the Wild Card, it is a really tight race and they still have another team ahead of them too. They are off a 3-2 loss to the Senators in their last one which was a huge loss for the Wild Card race, and they have looked terrible lately with their 3-5-2 record in their last 10 games. The Sabres are also off a loss in their last one, losing at home to the Bruins, but they still got a point from that loss and have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL since coming back from the Olympics. They have still been rolling in their games lately as they are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games and they will be looking to bounce back at home where they have looked a lot better this year. The best way to place a bet here is on the Sabres to win this game. 

Red Wings Sabres Prediction:  Our NHL Pick for Friday, March 27, 2026 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Sabres 4 Red Wings 2.

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Detroit Red Wings: 29-52 (-12 units) on the moneyline as a road underdog of +100 to +200. 16-28 (-5.7 units) on the moneyline when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 75%). 55-83 (-19.7 units) on the moneyline against explosive offensive teams - scoring 3+ goals/game. 25-16 OVER when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 75%).

Buffalo Sabres: 66-50 (+11.9 units) on the moneyline in home games. 33-31 (+7.3 units) on the moneyline when playing against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51% to 60%). 115-106 (+19.3 units) on the moneyline against mistake free teams - opponents average 4 power plays/game or less. 35-20 OVER as a home favorite of -200 or less.

Detroit Red Wings:  E. Finnie (C) Day To Day - Concussion. M. Rasmussen (C) Out - Undisclosed. D. Larkin (C) Day To Day - Leg.

Buffalo Sabres:  T. Pearson (LW) Day To Day - Lower-Body. J. Kulich (C) Out For Season - Ear. J. Greenway (LW) Out - Abdomen. J. Danforth (RW) Out - Lower Body.

“We were a little bit sluggish for whatever reason. We put pucks in the areas we wanted them, but then we weren’t winning the battles to give ourselves a chance.” - Todd McLellan after his team’s loss against the Senators in their game on Tuesday.

“Obviously it’s a big point and could have been a big two points again. Crazy bounce (on the Bruins’ tying goal), but sometimes the crazy stuff happens to you when you don’t play well. Even though we played a good third period, sometimes the payoff is something bad will happen to you and it happened.” - Lindy Ruff after his team’s loss against the Bruins in their game on Wednesday. 

LW Emmitt Finnie

C Dylan Larkin

RW Lucas Raymond

LD Simon Edvinsson

RD Moritz Seider

G John Gibson

LW Peyton Krebs

C Tage Thompson

RW Alex Tuch

LD Rasmus Dahlin

RD Mattias Samuelsson

G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Points: Alex DeBrincat (74)

Goals: Alex DeBrincat (35)

Assists: Lucas Raymond (47)

GAA: John Gibson (2.55)

Points: Tage Thompson (74)

Goals: Tage Thompson (36)

Assists: Rasmus Dahlin (50)

GAA: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (2.60)

Coaches:

Detroit Red Wings: Todd McLellan (2nd season)

Buffalo Sabres: Lindy Ruff (2nd season)