With Thursday being Thanksgiving, and there being no NHL games tomorrow, I decided to jump ahead and make a pair of picks for Wednesday's jumbo slate.
Tonight, I'll be focusing on two games in the 7:00 p.m. ET slot, featuring Buffalo Sabres vs Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs vs Columbus Blue Jackets.
Let's dive into my NHL predictions and picks for Wednesday, November 26.
Jonny Lazarus' NHL Best Bets for Wednesday, November 26
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:00 p.m. | |
  | 7:00 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NHL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Sabres vs. Penguins
Who would have thought after the Sabres' first three games of the season that we'd be sitting here on Thanksgiving Eve talking about how they're just four points back of a playoff spot?
Sure, if you look at the standings without the points, it doesn't look pretty, since they're in 15th of 16 in the Eastern Conference, but they have quietly won four out of their last five games.
Tonight, the Sabres will be in Pittsburgh to take on a Penguins team that has started to fall a bit. This will be their first meeting of the season. The Penguins have lost five of their last six games, and in that span, they have been the worst offensive team in the NHL.
Since November 8th, the Penguins have been outscored 14-10 and are averaging just 1.67 goals per game. It's fair to say that they're underperforming offensively since they're skating to a 2.78 xGF per 60 in that same span, but even their expected goals are pretty light.
Buffalo, on the other hand, has been an offensive wagon in its last five games.
Since November 15th, the Sabres have outscored their opponents 25-15 and are averaging 5.00 goals per game. They have six players who are producing at a point per game pace in this span, but Tage Thompson (5 goals, 2 assists) and Rasmus Dahlin (7 assists) have been leading the way.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will get the nod tonight for the Sabres, and he is 2-1-0 in his last three games, while boasting a .916 SV% and a 2.43 GAA.
Things have been going well for Buffalo, while its has started to slip for Pittsburgh.
Pick: Sabres ML -102
| |
Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs are gearing up for what will be their third meeting of the 2025-26 campaign already. Columbus has taken the previous two meetings, so tonight, the Maple Leafs seek revenge. Both teams are looking for a much-needed victory, as they have both found themselves in the loss column more than the win column as of late.
The month of November has not been kind to the Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets' blue lines and goaltenders. Both teams have found themselves at the bottom of the league when it comes to goals against this month.
Through November, the Maple Leafs are allowing the fifth-most goals against per game (3.64), while the Blue Jackets aren't too far away in seventh, giving up 3.38 goals against per contest.
Joseph Woll is expected to get the nod for Toronto, and this month he has skated to a record of 1-2-1 with a .905 SV% and a 3.27 GAA. Jet Greaves has been better on the other side, as he has skated to a 5-1-3 record with a .903 SV% and a 2.80 GAA.
The team defense hasn't given its goaltenders much help. The Maple Leafs are allowing the eighth-most high danger chances against per 60 in the month of November (12.47) while the Blue Jackets are allowing the tenth-most (12.12).
This should be a pretty run-and-gun contest, and we should see some puck go into the back of the net.
Pick: Over 6 -122
| |
