Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Buffalo Sabres odds, tips and betting trends

Data Skrive

March 8, 2026, 1:52 a.m. ET

Mar 3, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov (86) celebrates a goal against the Minnesota Wild during the second period at Grand Casino Arena.

NHL play on Sunday includes two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference hitting the ice when the No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning (39-18-4) visit the No. 3 Buffalo Sabres (38-19-6) at 6 p.m. ET at KeyBank Center. The game airs on ESPN+.

Tampa Bay secured a 5-2 victory on the road its last time out on March 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Buffalo won at home in its last game on March 7, 3-2 over the Nashville Predators.

As hockey matchups continue, get ready for the contest with everything you need to know before Sunday’s game.

Watch Lightning vs. Sabres on ESPN+!Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Buffalo Sabres odds and betting lines

NHL odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Sunday at 1:52 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

Favorite: Lightning (-125)Underdog: Sabres (+105)Over/under: 6.5Lightning vs. Sabres game info and start timeDate: Sunday, March 8, 2026Time: 6 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPN+Live stream: Watch on ESPN+Watch Lightning vs. Sabres on ESPN+!Lightning stats and trendsTampa Bay has won 31 of its 49 games as a favorite this season.In 42 games with moneyline odds lower than -125 this season, the Lightning have been victorious 27 times.The moneyline odds say Tampa Bay has a 55.6% chance of winning this game.Tampa Bay has combined with its opponent to score more than 6.5 goals in 27 of 61 games this season.Over the last 10 contests, the Lightning are 6-4-0 (80.0% of possible points).They are scoring at a 3.6 goals-per-game average (36 total) during that time.On the defensive end, the Lightning have given up 3.2 goals per game (32 total) in those 10 outings.Sabres stats and trendsThe Sabres have been the underdog 32 times this season, and upset their opponent in 19, or 59.4%, of those games.Buffalo is 11-10 when it is underdogs of +105 or longer on the moneyline.The Sabres have a 48.8% chance to win this game (implied from the moneyline).Buffalo has combined with its opponent to score more than 6.5 goals in 29 of 63 games this season.Over the past 10 contests, the Sabres have secured 80.0% of the possible points with a 7-2-1 record.They have scored 34 goals over that time.Defensively, the Sabres have given up 24 goals (2.4 per game) in those 10 outings.

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