Buffalo Sabres vs Anaheim Ducks Picks and Prediction for Thursday October 29 2026
The Buffalo Sabres will continue their road trip Thursday night with a matchup against the Anaheim Ducks inside Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The game is scheduled to begin at 10 PM ET, with coverage available on ESPN+. Buffalo comes into Thursday night 5-4-3 on the year following a victory against San Jose in its last outing, snapping a three-game losing streak. The Anaheim Ducks remain at home Thursday at 5-6-1 this season, having lost five straight games following an overtime loss to Vancouver last time out. Buffalo is a -122 road favorite, while Anaheim is +110, and the total is set at 6.5 goals. Stay in the action with our NHL Picks.
Buffalo tries to keep improving
The Buffalo Sabres offense has been mediocre this season, averaging 2.75 goals on 27.5 shots per game. Defensively, Buffalo is allowing 3.33 goals on 26.3 shots per game. Jack Quinn is leading the Buffalo offense this season with 11 points, including a team-high six goals. Owen Power has also scored 11 points, along with a team-leading nine assists. Tage Thompson is the third player on the roster in double digits with 10 points this season. Zach Benson and Noah Ostlund have also contributed heavily with eight points each.
Colten Ellis was dominant between the pipes for Buffalo in its last outing, allowing no goals on 23 shots to record the shutout victory. Owen Zellweger and Zach Benson led the Buffalo offense with one goal each. Owen Power also made a significant impact, contributing two assists in the game.
Key Injury Report for Buffalo:
- Justin Danforth (Day-to-Day) – Oct 29
- Jiri Kulich (Out) – Nov 4
- Sam Carrick (IR) – Oct 31
- Alex Lyon (IR) – Oct 31
- Matt Grzelcyk (IR) – Oct 31
Anaheim tries to end the losing
The Anaheim Ducks offense has been mediocre this season, averaging 3.08 goals on 23.5 shots per game. Defensively, Anaheim has had its issues, allowing 3.58 goals on 27.7 shots per game, and the Ducks have given up 18 total goals across their last four losses. Leo Carlsson is leading the Anaheim offense this season with 15 points, including a team-high 11 assists. Jackson LaCombe is second on the roster with 12 points, while Beckett Sennecke is third on the team with 10 points, including a team-high seven goals. Mikael Granlund has also contributed with eight points this season.
Lukas Dostal struggled between the pipes for Anaheim in its last outing, giving up six goals on 33 shots to post a .818 save percentage in just under 65 minutes on the ice. AJ Greer led the Anaheim offense with two goals on two shots in just over 15 minutes of ice time. Leo Carlsson and Jeff Malott contributed one goal and one assist apiece, while Beckett Sennecke added one goal. Jackson LaCombe also made a significant impact, recording three assists in the game.
Key Injury Report for Anaheim:
- Pavel Mintyukov (IR) – Oct 29
- Ian Moore (IR) – Nov 8
- Ryan Poehling (IR) – Nov 25
- Troy Terry (IR-LT) – Nov 21
Buffalo Sabres vs Anaheim Ducks Picks and Prediction
Pick: Anaheim Ducks +110
Anaheim should have an advantage Thursday night because of its offensive speed and ability to attack opposing defenses in transition. Leo Carlsson gives the Ducks a dangerous scoring option with his size, puck control, and ability to create opportunities around the net. Cutter Gauthier adds another offensive threat, especially when Anaheim is able to generate shots from dangerous areas. Buffalo has enough scoring talent to make this competitive, particularly with Tage Thompson capable of producing offense from almost anywhere in the offensive zone. However, the Sabres have struggled with defensive positioning at times, and that could become a significant problem against Anaheim's aggressive attack. Buffalo will need to limit turnovers and avoid allowing the Ducks to generate repeated odd-man rushes. With Anaheim playing on home ice and possessing several offensive weapons, expect the Ducks to create enough opportunities to pick up the victory.
Pick: Over 6.5
Buffalo and Anaheim both have enough offensive talent to turn this matchup into a high-scoring affair Thursday night. The Sabres can generate scoring chances through Thompson and their other offensive playmakers, but Buffalo's defensive struggles could leave the team vulnerable against Anaheim's speed. The Ducks should look to attack quickly and create opportunities before Buffalo can establish its defensive structure. Anaheim also has enough offensive creativity to produce on the power play if the Sabres struggle with discipline. Buffalo should be able to respond with scoring chances of its own, particularly if the game becomes more open in the second period. Neither team should be comfortable relying on a one-goal lead, which could create an aggressive final period with both offenses pushing forward. Look for a back-and-forth matchup with enough scoring to finish over the total.
Final Picks: Anaheim Ducks + 110 and Over 6.5