Buffalo Sabres Favored Over Columbus Blue Jackets to end 2023 NHL Season

  • What: Buffalo Sabres vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
  • Date: Friday, April 14, 2023
  • Location: Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • How to Watch: BSOH,Β MSG-B, ESPN+

The 2023 NHL regular season wraps up tonight, Friday, April 14 with two games on the schedule. In the late game, the Colorado Avalanche face the Nashville Predators, while the early game pits the Buffalo Sabres against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Neither the Sabres nor the Blue Jackets wil play in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Buffalo enters tonight’s game with a 40-33-7 record. They are a 24-13-3 road team and enter their matchup against the Blue Jackets with a 7-2-1 record in their past 10 games.

While neither of these teams will make the playoffs, the Blue Jackets are playing for something. Depending on what the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks do on Thursday night, Columbus might be playing for the points that will keep them from finishing last overall in the NHL for the 2023 season. The Blue Jackets are 24-47-9 on the season. Columbus has a 15-22-2 home record, and the club is 2-6-2 in their 10 most recent matchups.

Before we look at theΒ betting breakdownΒ for tonight’sΒ NHLΒ matchup between the Buffalo Sabres and the Columbus Blue Jackets, check out ourΒ guide to betting on the 2023 Stanley CupΒ and ourΒ tips for betting on the NHL.

Buffalo Sabres vs. Columbus Blue Jackets betting picks for April 14, 2023

TeamsBetOnline ReviewBovadaGTBets Review
Buffalo Sabres-170-170-170
Columbus Blue Jackets+153+145+150

Buffalo Sabres breakdown

The 25-year-oldΒ Tage ThompsonΒ leads theΒ Buffalo SabresΒ in many ways this season. The former first-round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues has set career highs in points (93), goals (46), assists (47), power-play goals (19), power-play assists (14), and game-winning goals (7). Thompson is also on pace to set career-high marks in shooting percentage, time on ice per game and plus/minus.

Jeff Skinner, Alex Tuch, andΒ Dylan CozensΒ join Thompson as Sabres’ players who have netted over 30 goals this year.

Buffalo’sΒ goaltending has struggled this year. The team has a .895 save percentage to go with a 3.65 goals against average.

Buffalo SabresTO BEAT COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…
-170
Bet now

Columbus Blue Jackets breakdown

The Columbus Blue Jackets are one of the worst statistical teams in the NHL in 2023. Their 209 goals for is third worst in the league, their 323 goals against is only better than the Ducks (333), and, along with Anaheim, they are the only team with a goal differential of one hundred or more at -114.

Johnny Gaudreau leads the team in points with 72. The team does not have a single player who has scored more than 30 goals on the NHL season. Boone Jenner is the team’s leader in that category with 26 goals on the year. Meanwhile, the club’s goaltending is second worst in the NHL in goals against at 4.01 and fourth worst in save percentage at .891.

2023 has not been a good year for the Blue Jackets, who finished last year with 81 points. The best the team can do for this season is 59 points if they get a win tonight over the Sabres.

Columbus Blue JacketsTO BEAT BUFFALO SABRES
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…
+145
Bet now

Best bet for Buffalo Sabres vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

These teams are 1-1 in their 2023 season series, but the Buffalo Sabres are playing much better than the Columbus Blue Jackets right now. With that, the best bet for tonight’s game is to pick the Sabres to beat the Blue Jackets.

Buffalo SabresTO BEAT COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†
-170
Bet now

Pick: Buffalo Sabres to beat Columbus Blue Jackets

See below a list ofΒ reliable sportsbooksΒ and choose the best one for you.

#1

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

Bonus

50% up to $250

Bet Now

#2

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

Bonus

50% up to $1,000

Bet Now

#3

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

Bonus

125% Sports Bonus - up to $2,500

Bet Now
Trent Reinsmith

Trent is a professional sports journalist specializing in UFC, MMA, and esports coverage. His work has been featured in prestigious publications such as USA Today Sports, Vice, Bloody Elbow, Fight! Magazine, UFC 360, and Narratively. Trent's connection to MMA dates back to the early days when he and his friends pooled their resources to purchase the pay-per-view broadcast of UFC 1. He also has extensive experience in esports, particularly League of Legends and Counter Strike, dating back to the game's launch.