Buffalo Sabres vs New York Rangers Preview & Predictions - 1/8/2026
Updated January 8, 2026
Updated January 8, 2026
The Buffalo Sabres are set to take on the New York Rangers on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. Both clubs are jockeying for position in the Eastern Conference wild card picture, with Buffalo currently occupying one of those slots and the Rangers trying to get there themselves. Here, I break down this Eastern Conference matchup on the ice and give you my Sabres vs Rangers prediction.
Pick: | Sabres ML |
Confidence: | 4/5 |
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Buffalo comes in with strong recent results, having won four of their last five games, including an impressive 5-3 victory over Vancouver. Buffalo led by four goals before holding off a late rally from the Canucks in that game. Their hot streak places them in a playoff position to this point in the season. On the other side, New York has struggled, winning just one of their last five outings. Their recent inconsistency is compounded by injury absences that have disrupted their lineup, with JT Miller, Igor Shesterkin, and Adam Fox all out of action.
In goal, the Sabres are expected to rely on Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who has been steady and effective, including a 32-save performance in their latest win. The Rangers are dealing with the absence of Igor Shesterkin, and veteran Jonathan Quick is expected to start. Quick has posted respectable numbers this season with a 2.23 goals-against average and a save percentage of .919, though he has not earned a victory since early November.
Key contributors for Buffalo include Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, and Ryan McLeod, all of whom have been integral in providing offense. The Sabres score over three goals per game and have been particularly successful when they reach the three-goal mark. For the Rangers, the offensive spotlight still shines on Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, the latter coming off a historic Winter Classic hat trick.
Player | Prop |
|---|---|
Tage Thompson (BUF) | Over 1.5 Points |
Alex Tuch (BUF) | Over 0.5 Points |
Artemi Panarin (NYR) | Over 0.5 Points |
Score Projection: Sabres 3 – Rangers 2
Win Probability: Sabres 52%, Rangers 48%
My best bet for this contest is for the Sabres to get a win on the road over the Rangers. In this New York State rivalry game, I don't put much stock into the Rangers being the home team, given how poorly they have performed at MSG this season. Expect Buffalo to add another loss to the Rangers' home record here.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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