Posted at 11:45 AM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle  +108 BET365 +115 Sportsinteraction +105  888Sport +110

Buffalo +115 over Detroit

1:07 PM EST. OT included. There are six teams fighting for the final Wild Card playoff position in the East, as the Flyers, Capitals, Red Wings, Sabres and even the Devils are still technically in the hunt with just a handful of games left to play. The Devils play the Predators this afternoon, while the Capitals will visit Ottawa. Last night, the Flyers fell 6-2 to Columbus while the Penguins vaulted into the final spot with a 5-4 win over Tampa Bay.

Coming into this game this afternoon, the Red Wings are sitting with 82 points, just one point back of the Pens with the Caps and Flyers in front of them, while the Sabres post 79 points and trail Detroit by three points with Detroit holding a game in hand. With at least five games to play for all sides, there is still much to be decided, but this game today is do or die for Buffalo. Coming into today, according to MoneyPuck, the Sabres have just a 1.7% chance to make the postseason, and a loss here would all but eliminate them, as they just have four games left after today, with only one of them coming against a Wild Card contender (Washington).

On the Red Wings side, they have six games including today, and they have cracks at both Pittsburgh and Washington to end the year. While they are looking up at those teams, it might be easy to forget the lowly Sabres below, but misery loves company, and Buffalo has a chance to make life much more difficult for the Wings, who were in the driver’s seat for a Wild Card spot six games ago before going on a 1-3-2 run. Perhaps the Red Wings can pull the nose up before it’s too late, but even then, it might be too late. The same could be said for the Sabres, but they are in better form, having won four of their last six and as the underdog today, they hold all the value.

Sherwood

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