Buffalo vs Columbus Prediction 7 November 2026
🔊 Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets are still outside the playoff spots, although both teams have already shown they can surprise. Buffalo recently won three straight road games but then let a late lead slip away against Ottawa. Columbus, by contrast, beat Colorado and Dallas after two losses. The teams now meet for the second time this season, and the hosts have unpleasant memories of the first game. Columbus scored six goals that night. Can Buffalo get revenge on home ice?
Nine goals between them
📊 The first meeting of the current season took place in Columbus and ended in a convincing 6:3 win for the hosts. Matt Knies scored twice, while Cole Sillinger, Adam Fantilli, Sean Monahan and Mathieu Olivier added a goal each. Valeri Nichushkin and Dmitri Voronkov recorded assists. Mattias Samuelsson, Jack Quinn and Konsta Helenius scored for Buffalo. High-scoring games are not unusual between these teams: they have combined for more than five goals in three of their last four meetings.
Head-to-head statistics Buffalo - Columbus
The win slipped away in five minutes
Buffalo have 17 points from 15 games and remain in the middle of the Eastern Conference standings. Before the game against Ottawa, Lindy Ruff’s team had won three straight, all on the road: against San Jose (2:0), Anaheim (7:6) and Los Angeles (3:2). But defence remains a weakness for the Sabres: their 51 goals allowed rank among the five worst totals in the conference. The power play has not helped either, converting at just 16.3%.
Buffalo’s most recent game was especially frustrating. Peyton Krebs opened the scoring late in the second period, and Colten Ellis held the lead for a long time, making 28 saves. But Ottawa tied the game with eight and a half minutes left, then scored the winner soon after on a counterattack. The 1:2 loss ended the home team’s winning streak. After the game, Ruff acknowledged that Ottawa had won more puck battles and created dangerous chances more often.
Match Results: Buffalo Sabres
The offence has finally come to life.
Columbus remain among the bottom three teams in the East despite two straight wins. The main reason for their poor start is a lack of scoring. The Blue Jackets have scored just 38 goals in 14 games, fewer than any other team in the conference. Their shooting percentage is 10%. After losses to Carolina (2:3) and Dallas (1:3), Rick Bowness’s team unexpectedly routed Colorado (7:2). Ivan Provorov and Valeri Nichushkin were among the scorers in that game.
Columbus then got revenge against Dallas, though the win was much harder to come by. Neither team scored until midway through the third period, when the visitors took the lead. Zach Werenski rescued Columbus, tying the game with 3 minutes 14 seconds left in regulation. Nichushkin and Kent Johnson converted their shootout attempts (2:1). Cam Talbot made 27 saves, while Werenski extended his point streak to five games, recording seven points over that stretch.
Match Results: Columbus Blue Jackets
First-Period Prediction
Buffalo Sabres have failed to win the first period at home in 7 of their last 8 NHL games. We pick Columbus Blue Jackets to win or draw the first period at odds of 1.44.
Total Goals Prediction
Columbus Blue Jackets have scored fewer than 3.5 goals in 13 of their last 14 NHL road games. They have averaged 2 goals in their recent road games, while Buffalo Sabres have allowed an average of 2.67 in their recent home games. We pick Columbus Blue Jackets team total under 3.5 goals at odds of 1.35.
Reliable Bet
Buffalo Sabres have scored fewer than 4.5 goals at home in 12 of their last 13 head-to-head games against Columbus Blue Jackets. They have scored fewer than 3.5 goals in six of their last seven NHL games; with a season home average of 2.14, we pick Buffalo Sabres team total under 4.5 goals at odds of 1.28.
*Odds are approximate and may vary between sportsbooks.
⭐️ Editor's Pick
Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets were unusually low-scoring in their latest games: both finished 2:1, though with different outcomes. But when they play each other, caution often goes out the window. They scored nine goals between them in their first meeting this season, and three of their last four meetings went over five goals. Buffalo Sabres have already allowed 51 goals, while Columbus Blue Jackets, after a prolonged spell of offensive struggles, managed to score seven against Colorado. All this gives reason to expect more open hockey than in the teams’ recent games. Our pick - total over 5.5 goals.
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Betting Tips: Buffalo Sabres - Columbus Blue Jackets
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in 13 of last 14 away games (NHL).in 12 of last 13 games (NHL).in 9 of last 10 away games (NHL).in 8 of last 9 games (NHL).
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