The Lightning will play the Sabres on Sunday, March 8th, 2026. Your timezone's face off time is 6:08 pm EDT. Check local listings or your nearest streaming app for coverage.
Learn more about NHL Betting with our handy tutorial and guide. We explain money line, total and puck line bets. Plus, a great discussion about exotic bets like NHL parlays and props.
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Table of Contents
- Matchup Stats
- Moneyline Mage
- Best Odds
- Interactive Odds Example
- Prop Bets
- Team Standings
- Futures Odds
- Team Pages
- Other Games Today
Key Matchup Stats
We're now in the back half of the 2025-26 NHL regular season. Face off for the matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres happens on Sunday, March 8th, 2026. Review each team's performance trends and insights below. Finally, recall that each team's point tally determines their playoff eligibility and seed. Stacking up as many wins as possible is key to securing an optimal NHL playoffs berth.
- SportsBetting3.com Power Rankings - The Tampa Bay Lightning now have a 97.33 SportsBetting3.com power ranking with the Buffalo Sabres starting this game with a 97.33 power ranking. Generally speaking, the team with the higher power ranking will be the moneyline favorite.
- Away Tampa Bay Lightning - The Tampa Bay Lightning have a 20-8-4 record as an away team. That standing puts them 1st in the league for away team wins. However, the Tampa Bay Lightning now rank 11th for away team losses.
- Home Buffalo Sabres - The puck drops for the Buffalo Sabres with a 19-8-3 record as a home team. That result ranks them 4th in the league for home team wins. But, they now sit at 9th for home team losses.
- Goals Scored - Heading into the second half of the 2025-26 NHL season, the Tampa Bay Lightning rank 6th (216) for goals scored. The Buffalo Sabres currently rank 5th (217) in the league for goals scored.
- Goals Against - Teams that allow fewer goals have better defensive players and goalies. The Tampa Bay Lightning rank 21st (164) in the league for goals allowed. As for the Buffalo Sabres, they've allowed 186 goals this season, resulting in a 15th league ranking.
- Shootout Records - A tie following 3 periods of regulation time and overtime mean a shootout will be held to determine the winner. The Tampa Bay Lightning have a 4-2 shootout win-loss record, with the Buffalo Sabres owning a 3-0 shootout record.
- Team Records - The Tampa Bay Lightning have a 39-18-4 record and the Buffalo Sabres hold a 38-19-6 at this point in the 2025-26 NHL regular season.
Moneyline Mage
Spelling out the winners with humor since the middle ages.
Hear ye, hear ye! The Tampa Bay Lightning travel to face the Buffalo Sabres...in a crucial battle for playoff positioning in the NHL standings. Both teams are neck and neck in the race for top seeds...
Tampa Bay Lightning hold a 0.639 win percentage with 82 points...while the Buffalo Sabres have a 0.603 win percentage also with 82 points. It's a close matchup that could swing either way...
We've calculated the best moneyline, puck line, and goal total lines for this showdown. Who will come out on top in this clash of titans?
If you're feeling lucky, place a bet on this hockey game at BetRivers or BetMGM. You won't want to miss this exciting matchup on Sunday, March 8th, 2026...
For more information on how to bet on hockey, visit SportsBetting3.com. Don't miss out on the action as these two teams battle for playoff position...may the best team emerge victorious in this epic showdown!
Best Lightning at Sabres Odds
| Underdog Buffalo Sabres | Favorite Tampa Bay Lightning |
|---|---|
| Over | Under |
|---|---|
| Underdog Buffalo Sabres | Favorite Tampa Bay Lightning |
|---|---|
Matchup Odds FAQs
The Tampa Bay Lightning are the -120 moneyline favorite at BetMGM and the Buffalo Sabres are the +100 moneyline underdog at BetMGM.
The best over line is 6.5 -105 goals at BetMGM, which means you risk $105 to win $100 betting the over. The best under line is 6.5 -115 goals at BetMGM, and that means you risk $115 to win $100 betting the under.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are -1.5 +190 puck line favorites at BetMGM, while the Buffalo Sabres are +1.5 -235 puck line underdogs at BetMGM.
NHL Odds Example
|
Game |
 BetMGMBet |
|---|---|
Lightning
Sabres
3/08/26 6:08pm EDT | -120+100 |
- Buffalo Sabres bettors risk $100 to win $100 at +100 odds. The implied probability for Buffalo Sabres is 50%.
- Tampa Bay Lightning bettors risk $100 to win $83.33 at -120 odds. The implied probability for Tampa Bay Lightning is 54.55%.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres Prop Bets
| BetMGM Bet |
|
|---|---|
Lightning
Sabres
Both Teams Score 2+ Goals
3/08/26 6:08pm EDT | Yes -200No +150Bet |
Sabres
Total Goals
TBL at BUF 3/08/26 6:08pm EDT | 3 o -1183 u -115Bet |
Lightning
Total Goals
TBL at BUF 3/08/26 6:08pm EDT | 3 o -1403 u +100Bet |
Alex Tuch
To Score 3 Goals
TBL at BUF 3/08/26 6:08pm EDT | Yes +8000Bet |
| BetMGM | |
Brayden Point
To Score 3 Goals
TBL at BUF 3/08/26 6:08pm EDT | Yes +5500Bet |
Nikita Kucherov
To Score 3 Goals
TBL at BUF 3/08/26 6:08pm EDT | Yes +5000Bet |
Tage Thompson
To Score 3 Goals
TBL at BUF 3/08/26 6:08pm EDT | Yes +4500Bet |
Team Standings
| Team | GP | W | L | OTL | wPct | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Diff | Home | Away | SO | L10 | Strk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Sabres | 66 | 40 | 20 | 6 | 0.606 | 86 | 37 | 232 | 198 | +34.0 | 21-9-3 | 19-11-3 | 3-0 | 8-2-0 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 64 | 40 | 20 | 4 | 0.625 | 84 | 36 | 229 | 178 | +51.0 | 20-11-0 | 20-9-4 | 4-2 | 4-6-0 | W1 |
Tampa Bay Lightning & Buffalo Sabres Futures Odds
Latest Stanley Cup odds, if available, for each team. Review odds for other teams and learn how Stanley Cup betting works. See past Championship results and learn how to bet NHL teasers, props and parlays.
Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup Odds|
Team | BetMGM |
|---|---|
| Lightning | +425 Bet |
|
Team | BetMGM |
|---|---|
| Sabres | +1800 Bet |
Tampa Bay Lightning & Buffalo Sabres Team Pages
Review each team's season point total odds, futures odds, betting bonuses and other valuable information on our exclusive team betting odds pages. Team betting odds and stats update throughout the season:
How to Bet on the Game
Time needed: 4 minutes.
How to Bet on the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Buffalo Sabres NHL Game
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Open a new sports betting account before game time.
Review our list of sports betting sites. Open a new account before the game starts on Sunday, March 8th, 2026 at 6:08 pm EDT, making sure to enter all your personal details correctly. Don't forget to add your bonus code.
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Visit the sportsbook’s cashier, banking, or deposit page.
Navigate to the sportsbook's deposit page. Use your Visa card or MasterCard, or deposit with a bank transfer, or other methods like Paypal.
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Tap to the sportsbook's NHL page, look for the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Buffalo Sabres Game.
Navigate to the sportsbook's NHL page. Next, look for live or upcoming matchups. Select the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Buffalo Sabres Game.
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Choose your bet and place a wager.
Choose your bet and then use the funds you deposited to place a wager. The sportsbook will pay your winnings or deduct a losing wager from your account balance after the game.
Other March 8, 2026 NHL Games
- Minnesota Wild vs Colorado Avalanche - 3/08/26 2:08pm EDT
- Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins - 3/08/26 4:38pm EDT
- Chicago Blackhawks vs Dallas Stars - 3/08/26 6:08pm EDT
- Detroit Red Wings vs New Jersey Devils - 3/08/26 7:08pm EDT
- St. Louis Blues vs Anaheim Ducks - 3/08/26 9:08pm EDT
- Edmonton Oilers vs Vegas Golden Knights - 3/08/26 9:38pm EDT