by Chuck Sommers
Thursday, Jan 26, 2023
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Venue: Canada Life CEntre, Winnipeg, MB
Where to watch: TSN3, MSG-B
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: NL
FanDuel: Jets -192, Sabres +158
BetMGM: Jets -185, Sabres +150
Caesars: Jets -189, Sabres +158
Season record
Sabres: 25-19-3
Jets: 31-17-1
We’ve hit the halfway mark in the NHL season. Yes, you read that right. We’re really hit that halfway mark that quickly. If you blinked, you probably missed a lot of good things happen in the hockey world. And with football about to be out of the way, look for our champion handicappers to get back on the rink. Oskeim Sports is on a 13-5-0 run in the NHL over the last 30 days, as is Will Rogers. Sean Murphy has also cashed in with a 16-10-0 run in the last month. Make sure you’re following our champion handicappers at bigal.com to get on this winning action!
Sabres - Jets preview, prediction and analysis
Recent results
Sabres: won 5-3 at Blues on Tuesday
Jets: lost 2-1 at Predators on Tuesday
The Buffalo Sabres will be playing the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, January 26 in Winnipeg.
The Buffalo Sabres won against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, January 24 in St. Louis, Missouri with a score of 5-3. The Buffalo Sabres currently rank 4th in the Atlantic Division. Tage Thompson had a goal and two assists for the Buffalo Sabres, who held on to win their fourth straight game. Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch each had a goal and an assist, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 25 saves for the Sabres, who won in St. Louis for the first time since Dec. 27, 2009.
"They're obviously a really good team, and we wanted to make sure that we came out making things simple and just taking time and space away from them," Thompson said. "I think that's what you see in the first shift there. I think the whole first period we stuck to the game plan pretty well and wore them down. In the second, I think we got a little relaxed, a little too comfortable, and obviously they're a good team, they're going to make a push, and they did."
Skinner made it 1-0 Buffalo at 1:00 of the first period when he one-timed a pass from Thompson in the slot. Tuch scored 25 seconds later to make it 2-0, scoring with a quick shot in the slot after receiving a pass from Skinner from behind the net. Owen Power scored his second goal in as many nights to make it 3-0 at 9:07, finishing a backdoor tap-in off a pass from JJ Peterka.
Thompson extended the lead to 4-0 at 1:10 of the second period. He scored with a backhand in front off a pass from Tuch after Colton Parayko turned the puck over in the neutral zone near the Sabres' blue line. Dylan Cozens scored an empty-net shorthanded goal with 59.8 seconds remaining for the 5-3 final.
"Obviously, we didn't want the game be that close after we got up four goals, but we found a way, and that's what matters," Cozens said.
The Buffalo Sabres have won five of their last 10 games.
The Winnipeg Jets lost against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, January 24 in Nashville, Tennessee with a score of 2-1. The Winnipeg Jets currently rank 2nd in the Central Division. Pierre-Luc Dubois scored, and Connor Hellebuyck made 39 saves for the Jets.
"We played hard for the most part," Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. "We just let up when we shouldn't have, and they didn't. Their goalie made some huge saves for them, our goalie made some huge saves for us. It certainly wasn't a 2-1 game in terms of offensive opportunity for either team."
Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey kept it a one-goal game at 18:22 of the third when he blocked a shot by Mikael Granlund from the right face-off circle with the net empty.
Winnipeg then came close to tying it twice in the final minute when Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers each hit the crossbar with 44 and 16 seconds remaining, respectively.
"We had our chances, they had theirs," Jets forward Cole Perfetti said. "You know, hit a couple of crossbars late and we created lots, had a lot of great chances. I think, a couple of self-inflicted wounds and things we'd like to clean up. We know we can do better, but I think all four lines worked really hard.
"That was a long road trip. I think the guys are really tired and battled through. I think we deserved a better outcome but, at the same time, their goalie played great. They played a good game. Yeah, it was a good hockey game."
Dubois gave Winnipeg a 1-0 lead 48 seconds into the first period, scoring backdoor after receiving a cross-ice pass by Perfetti from the left circle.
"[Dylan DeMelo's pass] came off my skate a little awkward," Perfetti said. "Had to turn and grab it, and then just turn my head, I saw … [Dubois] going to the net, wide open at the backdoor there. I just kind of had to lead it a little bit into him. It ended up working out well."
The Winnipeg Jets have won six of their last 10 games.
Prediction
I know conventional wisdom says to take the home favorite here, but the Sabres are on too much of a roll to turn away. The road team has won six of the last eight meetings, and despite losing 14 of the last 20 in Winnipeg, this is a new Buffalo team. Sabres 5, Jets 4
The Buffalo Sabres will be playing the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, January 26 in Winnipeg.
The Buffalo Sabres won against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, January 24 in St. Louis, Missouri with a score of 5-3. The Buffalo Sabres currently rank 4th in the Atlantic Division. Tage Thompson had a goal and two assists for the Buffalo Sabres, who held on to win their fourth straight game. Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch each had a goal and an assist, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 25 saves for the Sabres, who won in St. Louis for the first time since Dec. 27, 2009.
"They're obviously a really good team, and we wanted to make sure that we came out making things simple and just taking time and space away from them," Thompson said. "I think that's what you see in the first shift there. I think the whole first period we stuck to the game plan pretty well and wore them down. In the second, I think we got a little relaxed, a little too comfortable, and obviously they're a good team, they're going to make a push, and they did."
Skinner made it 1-0 Buffalo at 1:00 of the first period when he one-timed a pass from Thompson in the slot. Tuch scored 25 seconds later to make it 2-0, scoring with a quick shot in the slot after receiving a pass from Skinner from behind the net. Owen Power scored his second goal in as many nights to make it 3-0 at 9:07, finishing a backdoor tap-in off a pass from JJ Peterka.
Thompson extended the lead to 4-0 at 1:10 of the second period. He scored with a backhand in front off a pass from Tuch after Colton Parayko turned the puck over in the neutral zone near the Sabres' blue line. Dylan Cozens scored an empty-net shorthanded goal with 59.8 seconds remaining for the 5-3 final.
"Obviously, we didn't want the game be that close after we got up four goals, but we found a way, and that's what matters," Cozens said.
The Buffalo Sabres have won five of their last 10 games.
The Winnipeg Jets lost against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, January 24 in Nashville, Tennessee with a score of 2-1. The Winnipeg Jets currently rank 2nd in the Central Division. Pierre-Luc Dubois scored, and Connor Hellebuyck made 39 saves for the Jets.
"We played hard for the most part," Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. "We just let up when we shouldn't have, and they didn't. Their goalie made some huge saves for them, our goalie made some huge saves for us. It certainly wasn't a 2-1 game in terms of offensive opportunity for either team."
Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey kept it a one-goal game at 18:22 of the third when he blocked a shot by Mikael Granlund from the right face-off circle with the net empty.
Winnipeg then came close to tying it twice in the final minute when Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers each hit the crossbar with 44 and 16 seconds remaining, respectively.
"We had our chances, they had theirs," Jets forward Cole Perfetti said. "You know, hit a couple of crossbars late and we created lots, had a lot of great chances. I think, a couple of self-inflicted wounds and things we'd like to clean up. We know we can do better, but I think all four lines worked really hard.
"That was a long road trip. I think the guys are really tired and battled through. I think we deserved a better outcome but, at the same time, their goalie played great. They played a good game. Yeah, it was a good hockey game."
Dubois gave Winnipeg a 1-0 lead 48 seconds into the first period, scoring backdoor after receiving a cross-ice pass by Perfetti from the left circle.
"[Dylan DeMelo's pass] came off my skate a little awkward," Perfetti said. "Had to turn and grab it, and then just turn my head, I saw … [Dubois] going to the net, wide open at the backdoor there. I just kind of had to lead it a little bit into him. It ended up working out well."
The Winnipeg Jets have won six of their last 10 games.
Prediction
I know conventional wisdom says to take the home favorite here, but the Sabres are on too much of a roll to turn away. The road team has won six of the last eight meetings, and despite losing 14 of the last 20 in Winnipeg, this is a new Buffalo team. Sabres 5, Jets 4
Betting trends
Sabres are 8-2 when revenging a home loss of 2 goals or more this season.
Sabres are 15-9 off a win this season.
Jets are 21-12 off an under this season.
Projected lines
Sabres:
Jeff Skinner -- Tage Thompson -- Alex Tuch
JJ Peterka -- Dylan Cozens -- Jack Quinn
Casey Mittelstadt -- Tyson Jost -- Victor Olofsson
Zemgus Girgensons -- Peyton Krebs -- Kyle Okposo
Mattias Samuelsson -- Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power -- Henri Jokiharju
Jacob Bryson -- Ilya Lyubushkin
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Jeff Skinner -- Tage Thompson -- Alex Tuch
JJ Peterka -- Dylan Cozens -- Jack Quinn
Casey Mittelstadt -- Tyson Jost -- Victor Olofsson
Zemgus Girgensons -- Peyton Krebs -- Kyle Okposo
Mattias Samuelsson -- Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power -- Henri Jokiharju
Jacob Bryson -- Ilya Lyubushkin
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Jets:
Kyle Connor -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Cole Perfetti
Blake Wheeler -- Mark Scheifele -- Nikolaj Ehlers
Morgan Barron -- Adam Lowry -- Karson Kuhlman
Axel Jonsson-Fjallby -- Kevin Stenlund -- Saku Maenalanen
Josh Morrissey -- Dylan DeMelo
Brenden Dillon -- Neal Pionk
Dylan Samberg -- Nate Schmidt
Connor Hellebuyck
Kyle Connor -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Cole Perfetti
Blake Wheeler -- Mark Scheifele -- Nikolaj Ehlers
Morgan Barron -- Adam Lowry -- Karson Kuhlman
Axel Jonsson-Fjallby -- Kevin Stenlund -- Saku Maenalanen
Josh Morrissey -- Dylan DeMelo
Brenden Dillon -- Neal Pionk
Dylan Samberg -- Nate Schmidt
Connor Hellebuyck
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
