Minnesota Wild vs Buffalo Sabres Prediction & Preview - 1/17/2026
Updated January 16, 2026
Updated January 16, 2026
Saturday’s meeting between the Minnesota Wild and the Buffalo Sabres in the National Hockey League is a matchup between two teams moving in opposite directions on the ice. Buffalo arrives at KeyBank Center with four wins in its last five games, while Minnesota has dropped four of its last five heading into Saturday. Before the puck is dropped in Buffalo, you can keep reading to find my Wild vs Sabres prediction on the ice.
Pick: | Sabres ML ATS PRO |
Confidence: | 4/5 |
The Sabres have surged lately, winning the majority of their last 16 games and four of their last five games, including a 5‑2 triumph over the Flyers and a 5‑3 win against Montreal. Buffalo’s confidence is high after stringing together 14 wins in their last 16 outings, making them one of the hottest teams in the league.
Minnesota’s recent results have been less convincing, with a loss in overtime to the Islanders and inconsistent finishes in January. The Wild have lost three games in a row and four of their last five and they will aim to get back into the win column here.
Buffalo’s goaltending has been solid at home, with Ukko‑Pekka Luukkonen posting a strong home record and contributing key saves in support of Buffalo’s win streak. But we could see Colten Ellis in net for the Sabres instead here. Minnesota’s defense and netminding situation has been respectable this season overall, and it is expected to be Filip Gustavsson in net against a Sabres attack that is firing on all cylinders.
For Buffalo, central figures like Tage Thompson lead the charge with strong point production, supported by Alex Tuch, Zach Benson, and Bowen Byram. Thompson’s scoring, along with balanced contributions from the Sabres forward group, has been instrumental in Buffalo’s recent success. On the Wild side, Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy are the top offensive threats, combining for over 50 points each. However, Minnesota’s scoring from other sources and ability to sustain pressure could prove decisive if they are able to counter Buffalo’s fast pace of play.
Score Projection: Sabres 4 – Wild 3 ATS PRO
Win Probability: Sabres 58%, Wild 42% ATS PRO
This game is a great opportunity for the Buffalo Sabres to extend their remarkable recent run and solidify their position in the Atlantic Division with a win at home against a Wild team that has fallen short in a number of ways of late. Expect the Sabres to win this game on the moneyline and to get a fifth win in six games, while the Wild drop their fifth in six outings.
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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