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The Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets will meet in an NHL matchup tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. EDT at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Sabres are favored at -110 on the moneyline, with the Blue Jackets at -110 to pull off the upset. The over/under is set at 6.5 (-100o / -119u).
Let's get into our Sabres vs. Blue Jackets predictions and NHL picks.
Sabres vs. Blue Jackets Prediction
- Pick: Sabres Moneyline (50 cents)
Our Buffalo vs. Columbus best bet is on the Sabres moneyline, and it can currently be traded on Kalshi. For all of your NHL trades, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NHL odds page.
Sabres vs Blue Jackets Odds
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Sabres vs Blue Jackets Preview
Buffalo Sabres Preview
Last season, the Sabres were the NHL darlings. After years of incompetency and irrelevancy, Buffalo finally made a push to be one of the league’s best.
However, after last season, they were forced to say goodbye to Alex Tuch to the Capitals, after three 30+ goal seasons.
It definitely leaves a major hole in the Sabres’ roster, but it opens up the door for guys like Zach Benson, Ryan McLeod, and Noah Ostlund to take another step. We already saw Benson turn into the life of this team when he scored nine points in 13 playoff games, but is there room for more?
I think there is. But in a different way than Tuch.
Last season, Benson played in a top-six role for the first time in his career, and he posted career high numbers. Along with that, he ranked 48th among all NHL forwards (minimum 300 minutes played) in assists per 60 minutes, and I would expect him to get more high danger opportunities.
Over the offseason, the Sabres also added Olen Zellweger from the Ducks in a total heist of a trade. Zellweger, a 23 year old, didn’t play top minutes with Anaheim, but consistently showed up when the Ducks needed him, but he will miss tonight's game with a concussion.
In net, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to get the nod for Buffalo’s first game. Luukkonen is an interesting case, because he has the skill and the potential, but has never been able to put it together on a consistent basis.
He posted a .910 SV% and a 10.5 GSAx last season, but was brutal in the playoffs, forcing Buffalo to turn to backup Alex Lyon.
Columbus Blue Jackets Preview
Maybe I’m naive here, but I think the Blue Jackets can have themselves a real solid season.
Losing Kirill Marchenko right before opening day hurts, but in return, they get a player in Matthew Knies, who’s on the rise with two straight 20-goal seasons. And it was clear that Knies was frustrated about constantly being in trade rumors. Now he can just play hockey.
I’m not saying that Columbus has a chance to be a Cup contender, but I think there’s a reason to believe that they can be fun and good – especially with Rick Bowness at the helm.
When Bones goes on his rants and rips into the effort his team gives, like he did last season, the team usually wakes up. It happened when he was in Winnipeg.
There’s some hope here. Pairing Knies with a true beauty like Adam Fantilli will be a dynamic tandem. I’m also looking for a get-right season from Kent Johnson, who fell off the face of the Earth last season. Johnson averaged nearly a point per game two seasons ago, only to record 22 points in 76 games last season.
Lastly, it will be Jet Greaves to start the season in net for the Jackets, who was in the top 10 in efficiency among goaltenders last season. Greaves played to an exceptional .908 SV% and a 16.5 GSAx.
Sabres vs. Blue Jackets Pick
With both of these teams starting the season missing a key player from last season, I think this has the chance to be a bit more of a coin flip than many initially believed.
However, the late addition of Knies cools me off on Columbus for at least this game. Knies will need a game to truly understand what the team needs from him.
Buffalo has the experience, and it has the momentum from last season’s excitement. Plus you have to factor in that the Sabres were one of the better teams on the road in 25-26.
I’ll take the Sabres to win outright here.
Best Bet: Sabres Moneyline (50 Cents)
