The Washington Capitals will travel to Buffalo, New York, to face the Buffalo Sabres at the KeyBank Center, with the game scheduled to start at 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday evening. They will air on Monument Sports and MSG Buffalo.

Despite being one of the lowest-scoring teams in the NHL, ranking 28^th with an average of 2.76 goals per game, the Washington Capitals are in a good position to make the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They enter this game in the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with a record of 26-27-10 and 82 points, tied with the Detroit Red Wings with 82 points. 

The Capitals have also been below-average in defensive and goalie play, ranking 19^th in the NHL with an average of 3.18 goals per game. Washington enters this game on a two-game losing streak following losses against two playoff teams in the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 1-5 loss on the road and the Boston Bruins at home in a 2-3 shootout loss. However, the Capitals had a successful month as they compiled a record of 9-5-1 in March. Washington will play Buffalo in two of their final nine games this season. They won the previous meeting this season at home by a score of 4-3, extending their winning streak against the Sabres to two games. 

The Washington Capitals will look to extend their winning streak to three games against the Buffalo Sabres and end their two-game losing streak when they travel to face the Buffalo Sabres. 

The Buffalo Sabres are in contention in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs; however, they will need much help. Their record of 35-35-5 and 75 points this season puts them seven points behind the Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. 

The Sabres will also have a brutal stretch over their final seven games as they will face the Capitals twice, the Red Wings, Lightning, Panthers, and Stars. However, they can also make up ground in the playoff race as they will face the Capitals and Red Wings in three of their final seven games this season. The Sabres will look to compile a better record in the season's final month after compiling a record of 7-7-1 in March. 

The Buffalo Sabres will look to bounce back following a 0-3 shutout loss at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs when they host the Washington Capitals on Tuesday evening.

BookMaker lists the Buffalo Sabers as -130 moneyline favorites at home against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday evening. Washington has dominated the series against Buffalo, winning seven of the last ten and entering this meeting on a two-game winning streak after winning the first game of the three-game regular season series by a score of 4-3 at home.

Washington has been the better team in the series, winning seven of the last ten and by an average margin of .6 goals per game in those meetings, and enters this game with the better record while having won the first of the three-game regular season series. 

I look for those trends to continue in game two of the series. As a result, I am taking the moneyline with the Washington Capitals when they travel to face the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday evening.