Philadelphia Flyers vs. Buffalo Sabres Picks and Prediction for Thursday, December 18, 2025
Use Code WWWC Philadelphia Flyers (17-9-6) vs. Buffalo Sabres (14-14-4)
The NHL betting action goes on Thursday, December 18, 2025, with the Philadelphia Flyers facing off against the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference showdown at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY, and we’ve prepared the Flyers vs. Sabres prediction to get you covered.
Philadelphia meets Buffalo for the second time this season. The Flyers beat the Sabres 5-2 as +110 home underdogs on December 3, and the game went over the 6.5-goal line. Philadelphia opens as a +118 road dog this time around, while the total sits at 5.5 goals.
Let’s look closer at this Flyers vs. Sabres prediction, one of our NHL picks for Thursday’s card. The puck drop at KeyBank Center is set at 7:30 PM ET.
The Flyers just snapped their three-game skid
The Philadelphia Flyers have struggled a bit lately, dropping five of their previous eight games overall (3-2-3 record). Last Tuesday, the Flyers put an end to their three-game losing streak. After a 3-2 overtime defeat to the Vegas Golden Knights and a pair of shootout losses against the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-3 and 3-2, the Flyers beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 on the road.
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The Flyers overcame a 1-0 deficit in Montreal. They needed just 21 shots to score four goals, and four Flyers found the back of the net, including center Trevor Zegras. Dan Vladar gave up one goal on 22 shots, advancing to 12-5-3 on the season.
Vladar has a solid 2.41 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 2025-26, while Samuel Ersson is 5-3-3 with a 2.96 GAA and a .870 save percentage. The Flyers allow 2.72 goals per game (8th in the NHL) and score 2.84 goals in return (24th).
Zegras leads the way for Philadelphia with 14 goals and 19 assists, while winger Travis Konecny has recorded nine goals and 20 assists this season. The Flyers cannot count on winger Tyson Foerster (G10, A3), who’ll miss the rest of the regular season with an arm injury.
The Sabres eye their fourth straight W
The Buffalo Sabres are coming off a six-game road trip. After three consecutive defeats at the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2, the Winnipeg Jets 4-1, and the Calgary Flames 7-4, the Sabres strung together three wins against the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in overtime, the Vancouver Canucks 3-2, and the Seattle Kraken 3-1.
Last Sunday, the Sabres outlasted the Kraken as -130 road favorites. Three Sabres found the back of the net, including center Tage Thompson, while winger Alex Tuch made two assists. Alex Lyon yielded one goal on 24 shots, improving to 6-6-3 on the season.
Lyon holds a 2.99 GAA and a .905 save percentage in 2025-26, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is 4-5-1 with a 2.91 GAA and a .884 save percentage. The Sabres allow 3.41 goals per game (tied for 27th in the NHL) and score 3.00 goals in return (18th).
Thompson leads the charge for Buffalo with 16 goals and 13 assists, while Tuch has amassed 11 goals and 17 assists this season. Winger Jason Zucker (G9, A9) and goalie Colten Ellis (4-3-0; 3.25 GAA; .895 SV%) are both on the IR.
Flyers vs. Sabres Pick
Moneyline Pick for Flyers vs. Sabres
- Philadelphia Flyers +115 (5 units)
In their first meeting of the season, the Flyers outshot the Sabres 35-29 while going 2-for-5 with the man advantage. Interestingly, Buffalo’s penalty killing has been terrific for most of the season, and the Sabres boast the third-best penalty-killing percentage in the NHL (84.9%).
However, the Sabres have struggled to defend at even strength. Their goaltending has been bad, too, though Alex Lyon has done a great job through two starts and two relief appearances this month, posting a 2.01 GAA and a .929 save percentage.
Anyway, I don’t trust Lyon and the Sabres’ defense. On the other side, Dan Vladar is having a nice season and holds a 2.35 GAA and a .901 save percentage in December. Philadelphia ranks second in the league in expected goals against at even strength, so give me the Flyers at plus money.
Over/Under Pick for Flyers vs. Sabres
- Over 5.5 (5 units)
The Flyers lean on their defense. Just one of their previous six games has produced more than five goals in total. On the other side, four of the Sabres’ last seven contests have seen at least six goals on the scoreboard.
The total looks like a tricky wager in this game. Philadelphia is one of the best defensive teams in the Eastern Conference, whereas Buffalo is one of the worst defensive teams in the league. Their first meeting of the season saw a ton of shots and seven goals on the scoreboard, so I lean toward the over.
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