N.Y. Rangers @ BUFFALO
N.Y. Rangers +117 over BUFFALO

BEST LINES:  Pinnacle +117 BET 365 +110 SportsInteraction +115 5DIMES +112

Posted at 12:00 PM EST.

7:05 PM EST. OT included. There isn't a lot to do in Buffalo, which is one of the big reasons that city is so passionate about its sports teams, but rarely do the home fans go home happy. The end of the Bills long playoff drought was long publicized last season, but they are right back into rebuilding mode here in 2018. For the Sabres, the "This is going to be the year" mantra has grown tiresome. Buffalo has been picking at the top of the draft for years, while also searching for a reliable goaltender, but their approach of poaching someone else's highly regarded backup has not worked.

Enter Carter Hutton, who stepped in when needed while in St. Louis and even kept the Blues afloat when starter Jake Allen had extended struggles. Hutton now moves from a no pressure situation to a pressure cooker in Western New York. The 32-year-old Hutton is no spring chicken and he was served a dose of reality, as he and the Sabres were booed off the ice in their home opener after losing to the Bruins 4-0. There is usually no shame in dropping a game to the B's, but the Sabres could not have asked for a better situation, as Boston was coming off a high profile opening night game at Washington where they had to watch the Capitals raise their Stanley Cup banner. The Bruins then proceeded to get blasted 7-0. The Sabres now move into the role of the betting favorite. They are expected to win and that’s a role they are not well suited for.

The Rangers dropped a ton of deadweight last season and the market saw it as a raising of the white flag, but it really signaled a change in philosophy for that organization. No longer are they going to chase high priced rentals and underachieving big names. Instead, the Rangers are loaded with guys that can actually skate, which is more than we can say for much of their former defense core. New York's opening game against the Predators was a real eye opener, as the Rags went stride-for-stride with one of the league's best squads and were arguably the better team on the ice Thursday night. Henrik Lundqvist appeared to turn back the clock as he stopped 30-of-32 Nashville shots but more importantly is that the rangers come into this season with a massive chip on its shoulder and in a position to over-achieve, as the experts all have them written them off as a rebuilding team while Buffalo will play with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Rags are most certainly a live pup here.

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Our Pick

N.Y. Rangers +117 (Risking 2 units - To Win: 2.34)

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