The Buffalo Sabres will be looking for their fifth straight victory Monday night when they visit Nationwide Arena to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Blue Jackets will be looking to snap a six-game losing streak and head into the New Year on a positive note.
With 12 NHL games on the schedule, this one may be one of the more lopsided matchups on the NHL schedule.
Read further to get information to help you make NHL expert picks, Sabres vs Blue Jackets best bets, and get the most up-to-date NHL odds.
Buffalo Sabres at Columbus Blue Jackets
- Date: Tuesday, December 27, 2022
- Time: 7:30 PM
- Venue: Nationwide Arena
- Location: Columbus, Ohio
- How to Watch: ESPN+
Buffalo Sabres at Columbus Blue Jackets Last Game
In the Buffalo Sabres’ previous game, they traveled to Las Vegas to take on the Vegas Golden Knights. The Sabres emerged victorious 3-2 in a game where right winger Tage Thompson tallied his 26th goal of the season. Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made a career-high 41 saves to help preserve the victory.
The Columbus Blue Jackets last played on Thursday night, and they suffered their sixth straight loss at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blue Jackets fell behind 4-0 before they mustered any fight whatsoever, and their competitive level was not very high. Among NHL teams, the Blue Jackets have the worst record in the Eastern Conference and the third-worst record overall.
Buffalo Sabres at Columbus Blue Jackets Analysis
Sabres Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres come into play with a record of 16-14-2, good for 34 points. Looking at the NHL standings, the Sabres currently sit in fifth place in the Atlantic Division, 22 points behind the Boston Bruins.
The Sabres currently sit eight points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Buffalo has won four straight games and seven of their last 10.
Looking at NHL player stats, Thompson has 26 goals and 24 assists for 50 points. Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin leads the team with 27 assists.
Between the pipes, goaltender Craig Anderson has a record of 7-4-1 with a goals against average of 2.65 and a save percentage of .922. Taking a further look into the stats, the Sabres have six players with at least ten goals. They average 3.94 goals per game while allowing 3.41 goals per contest.
Blue Jackets Analysis
In terms of making Sabres vs Blue Jackets best bets, the Columbus Blue Jackets come into play with a record of 10-21-2, good for 22 points and eighth place in the Metropolitan Division, 28 points behind the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL standings.
The Blue Jackets have lost six straight games and eight of their last 10 overall. Taking a look at the NHL player stats, Columbus is led offensively by left winger Johnny Gaudreau, who has 10 goals and 24 assists for 34 points.
Center Boone Jenner leads Columbus with 11 goals. Those are the only two players for Columbus that have at least 10 goals. Between the pipes, goaltender Joonas Korpisalo has a record of 4-5-1 with a goals against average of 3.43 and a save percentage of .905.
Looking at team stats, the Blue Jackets are averaging just 2.55 goals per game while allowing 4.03 goals per contest. That is a recipe for a very bad season.
When making NHL picks, it is wise to check the NHL injury report. For this matchup, Columbus is without defensemen Adam Boqvist and Zach Werenski, who are both on injured reserve, and they are without goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. Buffalo is healthy and ready to go, which is great for your Sabres vs Blue Jackets best bets.
Odds Breakdown for Buffalo and Columbus
- Buffalo: Moneyline -152, -1.5 (+155)
- Columbus: Moneyline +137, +1.5 (-175)
Buffalo Sabres at Columbus Blue Jackets Pick and Prediction
- Pick: Buffalo -152, -1.5
- Prediction: 4-2
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