The Columbus Blue Jackets (12-19-7) travel to face off against the Buffalo Sabres (14-18-4) on Saturday, December 30th. This game will be played at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The Blue Jackets are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Sabres are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Bruins. Puck drop is set for 5:00 ET.

Columbus Blue Jackets vs Buffalo Sabres

The Columbus Blue Jackets Are Coming Off A Win

So far this season, the Blue Jackets have an overall record of 12-19-7. On the road, Columbus is 4-8-4 and 8-10-3 at home. They are currently positioned 8th in the Eastern Metropolitan division and 15th in the Eastern conference. Columbus’ average scoring margin for the season is -0.5, resulting in an overall puck line record of 23-14. When playing at home their scoring margin is -0.4, whereas in away games, they are at -0.7.

Facing the Maple Leafs in their last game, the Blue Jackets won by a score of 6-5. Against the Maple Leafs, Blue Jackets’ offense was able to score in all three periods. Columbus’ one power-play goals contributed to their total of 6 goals. Their offensive performance came with 21 shots on goal and one giveaways.

Despite being the underdog, Columbus managed to secure a win against the puck line in the game. The combined total of 11 goals exceeded the over/under line, which was set at 6.5 goals for the game.

The Buffalo Sabres Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

This season, the Sabres have an overall record of 14-18-4. On the road, Buffalo holds a 7-9-3 mark, and they are 7-9-1 when playing at home. This record has them sitting 7th in the Eastern Atlantic division and 14th in the Eastern conference. Looking at Buffalo’s average scoring margin, it is -0.5, which has led to a puck line record of 18-18. When playing at home, their scoring margin is -0.5, and on the road, it is -0.5.

The Sabres aim to bounce back following their 4-1 loss at home to the Bruins. Offensively, the Sabres faced a challenge in the first and second periods, failing to score. However, they did score one goal in the third period. Against Boston, Buffalo’s offense scored their only goal at even strength. They recorded 26 shots on goal overall.

As the underdog, Buffalo suffered both a straight-up and loss vs. the puck line. With a combined total of 5 goals, the game concluded below the over/under line of 6.

Columbus Offense Breakdown

Offensively, the Blue Jackets come into the game at 3.2 goals per contest placing 10th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are in 10th position in the league. The Columbus offense is ranked 25th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they find themselves at 32nd in the NHL.

The Blue Jackets come in with an over/under record of 21-15-1. Over the course of the season, they have had 15 games failing to surpass the 7 goal over/under line. The average number of goals in their games is at 6.9 per game.

Buffalo Offense Breakdown

On the offensive side, the Sabres are scoring an 3 goals per game this season, ranking 18th in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 14th in the league. Coming into the game, the Sabres have 9-10 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 5-8.

The Sabres’ over/under record this season is 16-19-1. For the season, they have had 20 games failing to surpass this game’s over/under line of 7. Overall, their games are averaging 6.4 goals per game.

Columbus Team Defense

Coming into the game, the Blue Jackets’ defense is 19th in takeaways at 6 takeaways per contest. Overall, they are giving up 3.4 goals per game which is 2nd in the NHL.

Buffalo Team Defense

Defensively, the Sabres are currently 18th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.5 shots per game against Buffalo. They also are 26th in shutouts, coming in with 1 shutouts.

Blue Jackets vs Sabres Trends

• Although Columbus has a straight up record of 3-7 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 7-3. The team averaged 3 goals per game in these games.
• Buffalo has a 1-2 record in their last three home games. In this stretch, they averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 2. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 2-1.
• As the betting underdog, the Sabres have an puck line mark of just 5-5 in their last ten games. Buffalo posted a straight up mark of 4-6 in these matchups.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the favorite, the Blue Jackets have a straight up record of 1-4. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 1-4.

Blue Jackets vs Sabres Prediction

When it comes to a straight moneyline bet, look no further than the Sabres. Nevertheless, given the payout of -210, you could also think about incorporating this bet into a parlay.

For my recommended choice in the puck line, I’m leaning towards the Blue Jackets to cover. Even if the Sabres secure a straight-up win, this game is expected to be tightly contested, and the Blue Jackets should cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 7 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.