Sabres vs. Blue Jackets Odds
| Sabres Odds | -178 |
| Blue Jackets Odds | +146 |
| Over/Under | 6.5 (-168/+136) |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | BSOH |
| Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
On the final day of the NHL's regular season, two teams outside the playoff picture will suit up one last time.
The Buffalo Sabres are 14 points ahead of last season's point total, but a late push featuring college phenom Devon Levi in net fell just short. For the Columbus Blue Jackets, wins have been hard to come by. However, the club has a solid collection of young talent and is among the top contenders for a draft lottery win.
Here’s a look at the latest on both teams along and our best bet for Sabres vs Blue Jackets.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres beat Ottawa 4-3 in overtime on Thursday before heading to Columbus to wrap up the season. Craig Anderson was in net Thursday and announced his retirement after the game, so it looks like Levi will make his seventh appearance in Buffalo's final nine games to close out the season. He has impressed since turning pro after the end of his college year with Northeastern, logging 1.5 goals saved above expected.
The Sabres made a couple of other roster tweaks on Thursday. Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson was shut down and forward Lukas Rousek was recalled from the AHL.
Though they're only playing for pride, the Sabres have been on a hot streak over the past three weeks. They've gone 8-3-1 since March 21, but their scoring has dipped a bit from earlier in the season (just 3.42 goals per game) and their power play is struggling with a 17.5% success rate.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Sitting last in the NHL standings, the last thing the Columbus Blue Jackets needs are points.
However, Johnny Gaudreau got sprung for a 3-on-3 breakaway in overtime against Pittsburgh on Thursday and converted on his 21st goal of the year, giving Columbus its first win in five games.
The Blue Jackets also picked up a point on Tuesday in their overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. But overall, they've done a good job of sticking near the bottom of the standings with a 5-12-3 record since March 3.
Sabres vs. Blue Jackets Pick
Both previous meetings between these teams were high-scoring affairs. Buffalo took a 9-4 win in Columbus back in mid-December and the Blue Jackets returned the favor with a 5-3 road victory in February.
But with both sides potentially icing skeleton rosters on Friday, history may not mean much. Levi may put a damper on the young Blue Jackets' players to make a statement in the last game of the year.
It could be worth checking the starting goalie information before placing a wager on this game. If Levi is in net, the under of 6.5 at +136 looks like very solid value.
Pick: Under 6.5 (+136) | Play to +110 |
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