Buffalo vs Columbus NHL Odds Pick

Posted by Eric Williams on Thursday,February 18, 2016 3:25, EDT in

NHL News, Betting Tips, Picks & Previews

The lowly Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets may not be going to the playoffs as they currently sit in two of the final three spots in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but their matchup on Friday night is offering a ton of value for NHL betting buffs looking to increase their annual betting bankroll. Now let’s find out why!

Buffalo Sabres vs Columbus Blue Jackets NHL Odds Pick

When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, February 19, 2016
Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
TV: FS-O
Radio: XM 219
Stream Option: Fox Sports Ohio
Opening NHL Odds: TBA

Why Bet The Buffalo Sabres Odds

The Sabres (23-28-2-5, 39-19 ATS) had their two-game winning streak snapped in their 2-1 shootout loss against Ottawa on Tuesday night. The Sabres have not scored in their last 14 shootout opportunities and have only put two goals in the back of the net on 21 shootout attempts this season.

“We played great and we did a lot of really good things,” said Sabres center Jack Eichel after Buffalo outshot Ottawa 39-26 while having its winning streak stopped at two games. “I think this one falls on me. I have a breakaway in overtime and if I want to be the player I want to be, that’s got to go in the back of the net.

“I get a chance in the shootout and not being able to finish there, I mean that’s real disappointing. I’ve got to start to figure something out here.” The good news coming into this matchup however, is that Buffalo has been pretty solid on the road this season in going 12-12-1-3.

Why Bet The Columbus Blue Jackets Odds

The Blue Jackets (23-28-4-3, 32-26 ATS) had their own two-game winning streak snapped in their heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss against Boston on Tuesday but have still won four of their last six games. Columbus scored their only goal on a first-period penalty shot by center Alexander Wennberg. Blue Jackets’ rookie goaltender Joonas Korpisalo stopped 28 shots in his 10th consecutive start in place of injured starter Sergei Bobrovsky.

“We played well enough for one point,” Korpisalo said, “but not well enough for two. However we played, it wasn’t good enough.” Columbus head coach John Tortorella was ticked off about the overtime breakdown that led to Eriksson’s goal.

“The thing that (ticks) me off is we just give them a free one,” Tortorella said. “After how hard we worked, how patient we were in the third period, our work on the boards, just grind away … and we give ’em a free one. It’s frustrating. It’s a simple three-on-three, man-on-man, and we just screw it up.”

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction

With these two teams being as unpredictable as any this season, I’m going to get right to the point by saying that the Over is the best way to go for this contest. The Over is 3-1-1 in Buffalo’s last five games and 9-3 in Columbus’ last dozen home games.

The Over is also 3-0 in the last three meetings between these rivals, a perfect 5-0 in the last five matchups in Columbus and a consistent 8-1-1 in the last 10 meetings overall. Columbus is ranked a dismal 28th in goals allowed (2.8) while Buffalo ranks 19th by allowing 2.7 goals per game.