Blue Jackets vs Sabres Pick – NHL Predictions & Odds 4/14/23

The Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets meet Friday in NHL action at the Nationwide Arena. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.

The Buffalo Sabres are averaging 3.6 goals per game and are scoring on 23.7 percent of their power play opportunities. Tage Thompson leads Buffalo with 46 goals, Rasmus Dahlin has 57 assists and Jeff Skinner has 235 shots on goal. Defensively, the Buffalo Sabres are allowing 3.6 goals per game and are killing 72.7 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has given up 115 goals on 1,054 shots faced, and Craig Anderson has given up 73 goals on 790 shots.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are averaging 2.6 goals per game and are scoring on 18.3 percent of their power play opportunities. Boone Jenner leads Columbus with 26 goals, Johnny Gaudreau has 53 assists and Patrik Laine has 184 shots on goal. Defensively, the Columbus Blue Jackets are allowing 4 goals per game and are killing 75.6 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Joonas Korpisalo has allowed 82 goals on 926 shots faced, and Elvis Merzlikins has given up 110 goals on 889 shots.

The Sabres are 54-124 in their last 178 games playing on 0 days rest and 5-2 in their last 7 overall. The Blue Jackets are 5-11 in their last 16 home games and 16-35 in their last 51 games playing on 0 days rest. The over is 9-4-2 in Sabres last 15 overall. The over is 13-4-1 in Blue Jackets last 18 overall. The Sabres are 2-6 in the last 8 meetings in Columbus and 1-4 in the last 5 meetings. The road team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings. The favorite is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

The Buffalo Sabres are comfortably the better team, but the bottom line is neither team has anything to play for at this point, and they’re on the end of a back to back. Both teams likely have their bags packed and their passport ready, just waiting for things to end. If I’m going to touch either team, I need plus money attached. Give me the Blue Jackets on their home ice.