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Jets vs. Sabres Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight's NHL Game

Gary Pearson

Last Updated: December 5, 2024 7:29 AM EST • 2 min 26 sec read.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk skates behind the net against the Nashville Predators as we offer our Jets vs. Sabres prediction.
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk skates behind the net against the Nashville Predators. Photo by Steve Roberts via Imagn Images

A pair of struggling teams meet at KeyBank Center on Thursday when the Buffalo Sabres host the Winnipeg Jets (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+). 

The Jets have been in a nosedive across the last two weeks, losing four in a row and five of the previous six.

While their Stanley Cup odds haven't changed since the skid began, head coach Scott Arniel won't be pleased with how his squad has acquitted themselves on the road, where they've lost three in a row. 

The Sabres are ensnared in a similar malaise, losing four in a row and four of the last five on home ice. While both teams are as desperate for a win as a toddler for attention, our Jets vs. Sabres prediction backs Winnipeg to end its winless run. 

Today's Jets vs. Sabres prediction

Odds via our best NHL betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.

My best pick: Jets ML ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: -140 via Betway | Implied probability: 58.33%

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Buffalo hit rock bottom Tuesday, tossing away a four-goal lead on home ice in the final 40 minutes to lose 5-4 to the Colorado Avalanche. It marked the Sabres' fourth straight defeat after winning three.

There's no question the Sabres will be desperate to make amends. And I have no doubt they'll be ready from the first puck drop.

That said, they are facing a superior team that is just as desperate, if not more so. Under ordinary circumstances, I wouldn't be opposed to backing the Sabres in this one. 

These are not ordinary circumstances, though. The Jets will pull out all the stops to earn both points. While it might take overtime and possibly a shootout, I can't see Winnipeg losing a fifth straight to the 10th-worst home team. 

Before their current slide, the Jets were the league's best road team. After losing four of five, they are tied with the Anaheim Ducks for the eighth-best points percentage (.600) in enemy rinks. 

The Sabres allow the ninth-most goals per game (3.29) on home ice, while the Jets score the eighth most on the road (3.4). It won't be pretty, but the Jets should just about get across the line. 

Jets vs. Sabres player prop pick

NHL picks made Thursday; odds subject to change.

Neal Pionk prop pick: Over 1.5 shots ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: -138 via Betway | Implied probability: 57.98%

Pionk has hit the Over on this prop in six of the last seven games and three in a row. The Sabres allow 28.6 shots per game at KeyBank Center, the 13th most.

The Jets don't fire a ton of shots on goal in away games (28.3), but Pionk is usually good for at least two. He fired at least two shots on goal in 10 of the Jets' 16 away contests, an Over rate of 63%. 

A winning $10 get will profit $7.25. 

Jets vs. Sabres live odds & info

  • When: Thursday, Dec. 5
  • Puck drop: 7 p.m. ET
  • Where: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, N.Y.)
  • How to watch: ESPN+
  • Favorite: Jets (-140 via Betway)

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Written By:
Gary Pearson
Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.