The Buffalo Sabres (25-27-4) travel to face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets (18-27-10) on Friday, February 23rd. This game will be played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus and televised on ESPN+. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Sabres vs Blue Jackets

The Buffalo Sabres Are Coming Off A Win

Buffalo comes into this game with an overall record of 25-27-4, which has them in 6th place in the Atlantic Division and 13th place in the Eastern Conference. On the road, the Sabres have gone 13-11-3 and have won four straight games away from home.

As the favorite, Buffalo has gone 12-9-1 this season, and they have been favored in 22 of their 56 games. Over their last ten games, the Sabres have gone 5-5, and they have gone 3-2 in their last five games.

Buffalo enters this game with a puck line record of 29-27 and a puck line record of 5-5 in their last ten games. So far, the Sabres have had 18 wins by multiple goals and 19 losses by multiple goals. In their last ten road games, the team has gone 6-4 against the puck line.

So far, the Sabres have been favored in 22 games and have a puck line record of 7-15 in those games. Overall, Buffalo’s average scoring margin this season is -.1 goals per game. In their last three games, the team has gone 1-2 against the puck line.

Facing the Canadiens in their last game, the Sabres won by a score of 3-2. The Sabres offense struggled in the first and third periods versus the Canadiens, but they did score three times in the second period. Buffalo finished with one power-play goals, while they also managed to score one time when shorthanded. Their game concluded with 23 shots on goal.

Buffalo couldn’t cover the puck line despite the straight-up win, as they entered the game as the favorites with a -1.5 goal advantage. The game finished below the over/under line of 6.5 with a combined total of 5 goals.

The Columbus Blue Jackets Are Coming Off A Win

Heading into tonight’s game, the Blue Jackets are 16th in the Eastern Conference and 8th in the Metropolitan Division with 46 points and an overall record of 18-27-10. In the Eastern Conference, Columbus has gone 9-25, and in divisional matchups, they are 3-13.

Over their last ten games, the Blue Jackets are 4-6, and they have gone 2-3 in their last five games. At home this season, Columbus has gone 9-14-4 and are currently on a two-game losing streak at Nationwide Arena.

As the underdog, Columbus has a puck line record of 30-20 this season, and their average scoring margin when in that role is at -0.8 goals per game. So far, the Blue Jackets have gone 1-4 vs. the puck line when favored and 4-6 against the puck line in their last ten home games.

So far, Columbus has a puck line record of 31-24, and they have gone 13-14 vs. the puck line at home. They have lost their last two home games vs. the puck line and have an average scoring margin of -0.7 goals per game at home.

The Blue Jackets recently played against the Ducks and secured a win with a score of 7-4. In every single period, the Blue Jackets’ offense scored a goal against the Ducks. For the game, the Columbus offense took 27 shots on goal and scored one time while short handed.

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.

Buffalo Offense Breakdown

Offensively, the Sabres come into the game at 2.9 goals per contest placing 21st in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are in 12th position in the league. In terms of power play goals, the Sabres offense is 27th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they are 19th in the NHL.

This season, the Sabres’ have an over/under record of 23-31-2. Throughout the season, they have played 33 games that did not exceed the 6.5 over/under line. On average, their games are averaging 6 goals per game.

Blue Jackets Offense Breakdown

On the offensive side, the Blue Jackets are scoring an 3 goals per game this season, ranking 24th in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 22nd in the league. This year, the Blue Jackets have recorded a 7-8 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. For games with fewer shots on goal, they have a 11-18 record.

This season, the Blue Jackets have an over/under record of 28-24-3. Throughout the season, they have played 30 games that went over the 6.5 over/under line. The average number of goals in their games is 6.7 per game.

Buffalo Team Defense

The Sabres defense is currently 25th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 28.9 shots per game against Buffalo. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 8th with 4 shutouts.

Columbus Team Defense

The Blue Jackets defense is currently 8th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 33 shots per game against Columbus. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 29th with 1 shutouts.

Sabres vs Blue Jackets Trends

• In their last three road games, Buffalo has averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 2. The team’s record in this stretch was 3-0 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
• Across their ten previous home games, Columbus has an puck line mark of 4-6. Their straight up record in these matchups was 2-8 while averaging 2 goals per game.
• As the betting underdog, the Blue Jackets have an puck line mark of just 2-3 in their last five games. Columbus posted a straight up mark of 2-3 in these matchups.
• As the betting favorite, the Sabres have an puck line mark of just 5-5 in their last ten games. Buffalo posted a straight up mark of 6-4 in these matchups.

Sabres vs Blue Jackets Prediction

For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Blue Jackets to secure a victory over the Sabres at home. With the moneyline currently set at +112, I’m locking in my bet on the Blue Jackets straight-up.

Our projections have the Blue Jackets pulling out a win as the underdog. But if you’re not as bullish as we are on the Blue Jackets, we’d recommend at least getting a bet down on them to cover the puck line.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 6.5 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet 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.