- Matchup: Buffalo Sabres vs Columbus Blue Jackets
- Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
- Venue: Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH
- Broadcast: ESPN+
- Betting Odds: Sabres (-105) Blue Jackets (-110)
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The Buffalo Sabres, who finished last season with a record of 50-23-9, travel to Nationwide Arena this Thursday to face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who concluded their previous campaign at 40-30-12. The betting line places Buffalo at -105 and Columbus at -110, with the over/under set at 6.5.
The Buffalo Sabres experienced a setback in their last game, falling 3-2 to the Canadiens. In that contest, they accrued 2 minutes in penalties and had one power play opportunity but were unable to capitalize. Offensively, the Sabres struggled, concluding the game with just 2 goals on 39 shots.
During even-strength play last season, the Sabres allowed 198 goals while scoring 235. Their opponents had 232 power play chances (ranking 19th in the league) and converted 42 goals from those opportunities. Offensively, the Sabres scored 283 goals (5th in the NHL) while permitting 240. They attempted 2,307 shots, achieving a shooting percentage of 12.3%. For the previous season, they collected 109 points, finishing with a points percentage of .665. Buffalo faced 2,381 shots against them and boasted a save percentage of .899. The team also had 246 power play opportunities, converting 48 goals for a success rate of 19.51%.
Starting in goal for this matchup is Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Throughout his NHL career, he has faced 538 goals, holding a goals against average of 2.91. Luukkonen has appeared in 190 games, with a save percentage of .900 across 8,299 minutes on the ice. His overall record stands at 93-74-18, having started 185 games with 102 quality starts and a quality start percentage of .551. To date, he has faced 5,368 shot attempts, making 4,830 saves.
In their last outing, the Blue Jackets squared off against the Capitals, where they suffered a narrow 2-1 loss. The Blue Jackets garnered one power play chance but failed to score, netting just 1 goal from 28 shots taken.
Columbus made 2,410 shots last season (ranking 6th in the league) with a shooting percentage of 10.21%, while permitting 2,362 shots against. Their penalty kill success stood at 76.02% against 221 power play chances, complemented by a save percentage of 89.4%. The Blue Jackets converted 201 chances on the power play, achieving an 18.91% success rate. They scored a total of 208 goals at even strength and 38 goals while on the power play (28th in the league). Their defensive record included allowing 251 goals, with 198 scored against them at even strength and 53 while short-handed. Last year, Columbus accumulated 246 goals, finished with 92 points, and a points percentage of .561.
Jet Greaves is expected to be in net for the Blue Jackets. Opponents have averaged 2.68 goals per game against him with a total of 196 goals allowed. Greaves’ quality start rate is at 67.1%, having notched 49 quality starts over his professional career. He has started in 73 games, accumulating 1,250 minutes of ice time, with an overall record of 36-28-11 and 76 games played. He has made 2,055 saves from 2,251 shots, achieving a save percentage of .913.
Who will emerge victorious in tonight’s NHL contest, fulfilling the spread or moneyline?
Pick: Bet on Buffalo (-105)
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