Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres Prediction & Picks

Best tip of the gameBest tip Handicap Won

Sabres +1.5 1.44

Confidence67%

All predictions

9 picks graded · Average confidence 62%

Full game

1X2LostCanadiensodds down 2.12Confidence 51%
Over/UnderWonU7.5odds up 1.35Confidence 69%
Best tip of the game: HandicapWonSabres +1.5odds up 1.44Confidence 67%
Winner (incl. OT)WonCanadiensodds up 1.67Confidence 53%
Double chanceWonCanadiens or draw1.38Confidence 66%
Draw no betPushCanadiensodds down 1.67Confidence 54%
Both teams to score (GG/NG)WonYes1.06Confidence 89%

1st period

1st period 1X2WonCanadiensodds down 2.60Confidence 51%
1st period Over/UnderWonO1.5odds up 1.67Confidence 56%

How to read the picks

Confidence is the model’s own score for a pick, out of 100. It is not a probability, but picks with higher confidence have won more often. The score details show the model’s probability instead — they are not picks.

Why some of these picks carry a lower confidence: the league is not yet proven in the model’s replay; no record yet for this market in the model’s replay.

Predicted final score

What the picks are derived from. Not a bet.

Canadiens 32

Sabres

Final 4–3

Total goalsTotal 5 Actual 7

Draw after 60 minDraw 23% Went to overtime

Montreal to winTo win 52% MTL won

Score details

Correct scoreLost3–2After 60 min3–33%chance
1st period correct scoreLost2–01st period2–17%chance
Highest scoring periodLost3rd periodMost goals1st · 3 goals30%chance

Score breakdown

After 60 minutes 3-2
By period 2-0, 0-0, 1-2
Likeliest 3-2 (3%), 4-3 (2%), 2-1 (2%)

Team stats

Shots & goaltending

Special teams

Possession & hits

Built on 20+ games of full box scores a team — no betting odds in it

Season so far

Season and recent form

Season

Season record3-3-14-3-1

Home / road split2-2-01-1-1

StreakL1W1

Rest2 days1 day

Goals for3.33.0

Goals against3.93.8

In the standings2nd6th

Per game · last 10 each

Goal differential per game−1.6−0.1

Goals for2.43.4

Goals against4.03.5

Shots on goal25.429.1

Shots against28.924.3

Shooting %9.4%11.7%

Save %87.9%86.0%

Power-play %11.6%14.6%

Penalty kill %85.7%67.5%

Faceoff %51.6%49.0%

Penalty minutes13.610.5

Blocked shots15.314.5

Per-game figures from the games with full stats, all competitions.

Head-to-head

Canadiens 32

Sabres

Montreal won three of the last five meetings

Goals a gameGoals 7.4 MTL 3.6 · BUF 3.8

Over 6.0 goalsOver 6.0 3 of 5 This game’s line

Past 60 minutesOvertime 2 of 5 1 in overtime · 1 in a shootout

Oct 13, 2026: Montreal Canadiens 4, Buffalo Sabres 3, after a shootout.
May 18, 2026: Buffalo Sabres 2, Montreal Canadiens 3, after overtime.
May 16, 2026: Montreal Canadiens 3, Buffalo Sabres 8.
May 14, 2026: Buffalo Sabres 3, Montreal Canadiens 6.
May 12, 2026: Montreal Canadiens 2, Buffalo Sabres 3.

Last five games

Canadiens 2-3-0

Loss, 4–5 at Washington Capitals, Oct 14. Odds: Capitals 2.34, Canadiens 2.65.
Win, 4–3 against Buffalo Sabres, after a shootout, Oct 13. Odds: Canadiens 2.06, Sabres 3.09.
Win, 1–0 against Detroit Red Wings, after a shootout, Oct 10. Odds: Canadiens 1.95, Red Wings 3.05.
Loss, 2–5 against Nashville Predators, Oct 8.
Loss, 4–6 against Carolina Hurricanes, Oct 6.

Sabres 2-2-1

Win, 5–4 at Toronto Maple Leafs, after overtime, Oct 15. Odds: Maple Leafs 2.27, Sabres 2.50.
Overtime loss, 3–4 at Montreal Canadiens, after a shootout, Oct 13. Odds: Canadiens 2.06, Sabres 3.09.
Win, 5–3 against Florida Panthers, Oct 12. Odds: Sabres 2.40, Panthers 2.60.
Loss, 1–4 against Utah Mammoth, Oct 10. Odds: Sabres 2.25, Mammoth 2.65.
Loss, 0–4 against Dallas Stars, Oct 8.

Each side’s last five, every competition — W a win, L a loss, OT a loss after overtime or a shootout. Beside each team, its goals and its 1X2 odds before puck drop; the odds that came in are lit (none after overtime: the draw).

Game timeline

1st period2-1

08:21 Goal Buffalo Sabres: Norris J. assists: Helenius K. 0-1
10:25 2 min Buffalo Sabres: Ostlund N. Slashing
11:45 Goal PPG Montreal Canadiens: Bolduc Z. assists: Suzuki N., Slafkovsky J. 1-1
14:01 Goal Montreal Canadiens: Caufield C. assists: Slafkovsky J., Carrier A. 2-1

2nd period1-1

07:39 Goal Montreal Canadiens: Texier A. assists: Guhle K., Carrier A. 3-1
07:44 2 min Montreal Canadiens: Texier A. Interference
08:20 2 min Buffalo Sabres: Ostlund N. Interference
09:52 Goal SHG Buffalo Sabres: Quinn J. assists: Benson Z., Samuelsson M. 3-2
10:10 2 min Montreal Canadiens: Hutson L. Holding
14:19 2 min Buffalo Sabres: Gilbert D. Hooking
15:35 2 min Buffalo Sabres: Benson Z. Elbowing
17:10 2 min Montreal Canadiens: Kapanen O. Interference

3rd period0-1

05:25 2 min Buffalo Sabres: Samuelsson M. Holding
10:12 Goal Buffalo Sabres: Thompson T. assists: Doan J., Kulich J. 3-3
17:43 2 min Montreal Canadiens: Slafkovsky J. Tripping

Overtime1-0

00:54 Goal Montreal Canadiens: Caufield C. 4-3

Times are the minutes played in each period. PPG power-play goal, SHG short-handed goal, ENG empty-net goal, PS penalty shot. A shootout is won by one goal on the final score.

Key insights

In goal: Fowler J. for Montreal Canadiens (7-3-0 in the last 10 starts), Luukkonen U. for Buffalo Sabres (4-4-2 in the last 10 starts).
Goal differential gap of 1.5 per game — Montreal Canadiens −1.6, Buffalo Sabres −0.1 over their recent games.
3-2 in the last 5 meetings for Montreal Canadiens.
7.4 goals per meeting across the last 5 head-to-head games; the total is 6.
2nd vs 6th in the NHL standings.

How the odds moved

Market	Opening	Now	Move
1X2: 1 (MTL)	2.13	2.13	No change
1X2: X (draw)	4.30	4.30	No change
1X2: 2 (BUF)	2.82	2.82	No change
Over/Under line	6	6	No change
Handicap MTL	−1.5	−1.5	No change

Opening and current odds from the bookmakers we track; the handicap line is shown from the home team’s side.

NHL standings

Regular Season · Atlantic Division

#	Team	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	P%	GF	GA	+/−
1	Boston Bruins	18	13	4	1	27	.750	68	41	+27
2	Montreal Canadiens	18	11	3	4	26	.722	62	55	+7
3	Tampa Bay Lightning	17	11	4	2	24	.706	63	53	+10
4	Ottawa Senators	19	11	6	2	24	.632	60	57	+3
5	Florida Panthers	19	10	7	2	22	.579	60	56	+4
6	Buffalo Sabres	17	8	6	3	19	.559	50	57	−7
7	Toronto Maple Leafs	20	8	10	2	18	.450	67	70	−3
8	Detroit Red Wings	19	7	9	3	17	.447	51	59	−8

Playoffs

Pts points, on the league’s own system — the table is sorted by them. W/L/OTL wins, regulation losses, overtime and shootout losses · GP played · P% points share · GF/GA goals for and against · +/− difference.

Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres prediction

All predictions

Full game

1st period

Predicted final score

Score details