Updated January 6, 2026
The Vancouver Canucks will visit the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center in the NHL on Tuesday night. Buffalo comes in as the favored side looking to bounce back after having a long winning streak snapped just prior to this contest. The Canucks have struggled of late and will look to find some traction on the road as underdogs. Before the puck drops in Western New York, you can find my Canucks vs Sabres prediction here.
Pick: | Under 6.5 |
Confidence: | 2/5 |
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The Sabres have been one of the more interesting stories in the league over the past month, surging to a double-digit winning streak before a recent 5–1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets ended that run. Buffalo has also gotten contributions from its special teams and their power play looks improved compared to earlier in the season.
Vancouver enters this contest having dropped three straight contests and trying to halt a slump that has seen them drop to the bottom of the Pacific Division. The Canucks’ offense has not been horrible this year, but they are allowing a staggering 3.46 goals per game this season.
Buffalo’s goaltending situation has shifted due to injuries, most notably to Alex Lyon who is out with a lower-body issue. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has taken over the starting duties and will be tasked with handling the bulk of the workload tonight. He made 30 saves in the Sabres’ last outing despite the team’s loss. Vancouver is expected to roll with Thatcher Demko, who has solid numbers with a 2.72 GAA.
On the Buffalo side, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin have been influential, with Thompson’s goal-scoring and Dahlin’s playmaking being crucial to their success. Jason Zucker’s return bolsters Buffalo’s attack, particularly on the power play. Vancouver will lean on their stars such as Elias Pettersson and Conor Garland to generate chances, though secondary scoring consistency has been a concern.
Player | Prop |
|---|---|
Tage Thompson | Over 0.5 Goals |
Elias Pettersson | Over 0.5 Points |
Score Projection: Buffalo Sabres 4 – Vancouver Canucks 2
Win Probability: Sabres 58%, Canucks 42%
My best bet for this contest is for the under to cash in Buffalo. The Sabres should be able to slow down the attack of the Canucks. And even if Vancouver lets three or four goals in tonight, I'm still banking on the under to come through for us in this one.
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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