The Buffalo Sabres head into their road game against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday looking to snap a two-game losing streak. Buffalo has shown strong scoring ability of late, but enters with key injuries, while Nashville rides the confidence of a big win and aims to defend home ice at Bridgestone Arena. Here, I break down this matchup between Buffalo and Nashville and I’ve got you covered with my Sabres vs Predators prediction below.
Our Sabres vs Predators Pick
| Pick: | |
| Confidence: | 5/5 |
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Buffalo Sabres vs Nashville Predators
- Date & Time: Tuesday, January 20, 2026, 8:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
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The Sabres come into this game with two straight losses, losing 5-4 in overtime to the Minnesota Wild before losing 2-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes. Nashville had a three-game winning streak snapped in its last game, losing 7-2 on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Preds have a rest advantage going into this game, as the Sabres are playing for the second night in a row and will have to overcome that fatigue to have a chance here.
Goaltending
Buffalo’s netminding has featured some solid moments, though injuries have impacted their consistency. Ukko‑Pekka Luukkonen provided 26 saves in their latest outing, and Buffalo’s ability to control rebounds and limit high‑danger chances will be crucial here. Nashville’s Juuse Saros has demonstrated the ability to steal games, but his save percentage this year is only .898. Goalie performance here could tilt the result in one direction or the other on Tuesday night.
Key skaters
Offensively, Tage Thompson leads the Sabres with strong production, while Rasmus Dahlin’s contributions from the blue line continue to be impactful. Buffalo’s depth beyond the top line has shown it can generate goals from multiple sources. For Nashville, Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg have been key drivers of their offense. O’Reilly’s recent hat trick underscores his ability to take over a game. Supporting scoring from Steven Stamkos and others will be essential if Nashville hopes to match Buffalo’s attack.
Betting Trends & H2H
- This is the first of two games that the Sabres and Predators will play against each other in the regular season.
- The Predators are 24-24 on the puckline going into this matchup.
- Buffalo is 26-21 in the puckline market heading into Tuesday night.
Sabres vs Predators Model Projection
Final Thoughts
