Ottawa Senators vs Buffalo Sabres Picks and Predictions for Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Ottawa is on the road in upstate New York on Wednesday for an NHL showdown with the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center at 7:30 pm ET. The game will be televised on ESPN+. The Senators (9-6-1, 3rd Atlantic Division, 19 points) lost to Anaheim 6-3, last time out. Buffalo (7-4-3, 7th Atlantic Division, 17 points) won its last outing when defeating the LA Kings 3-2, and the Sabres have won three straight. Ottawa is 4-4-1 on the road, and Buffalo is 3-3-0 at home. Check out our free NHL picks for Wednesday.

Ottawa Senators Looking for Better Defensive Play

Ottawa lost to Anaheim 6-3 on Sunday to complete a back-to-back after beating San Jose 5-1 on Saturday. The contrast in the two games tells a lot about how Ottawa is currently playing. The Senators have just two wins in the last five games. The blue line and goaltending have struggled to keep the puck out of their own net. Ottawa has given up six goals in two of it last three outings. The Senators, on the season, are averaging 3.13 goals and allowing 3.19. 

Tim Stutzle leads the team in points and assists with 21 and 12, respectively, while Drake Batherson’s nine goals lead the Senators. Batherson has nine assists as well. Goalie Linus Ullmark is out injured, and the Senators dearly miss the netminder, who was leading the NHL with a 1.33 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage. In Ullmark’s place is Jonas Johansson, whose GAA is far too high at 4.60.

Injuries: Andre Burakovsky, Warren Foegele, Linus Ullmark and William Eklund are out.

Buffalo Sabres Hoping to Continue Winning Streak

Buffalo has put together three straight wins, with Saturday's 3-2 victory over Los Angeles the latest. The Sabres didn't need a big scoring night to get that result, something that hasn't always been easy for Buffalo. The team is now 7-4-3 overall and hasn't lost at home in regulation, going 3-0-0. Buffalo averages 3.07 goals per game but allows 3.43. The penalty kill is another concern at 68.6%, especially with Ottawa coming to town on Wednesday.

Tage Thompson has 10 goals and 17 points, leading Buffalo in both categories. Jack Quinn has contributed eight goals, and Zach Benson leads the Sabres with 11 assists, although his status for Wednesday is questionable. The goaltending numbers haven't been particularly strong either. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has four wins with a 3.40 goals-against average and .874 save percentage. Colten Ellis is 3-1-0 with a 3.11 GAA and .880 save percentage. Buffalo has found ways to win recently, but the Sabres are still allowing more goals than they score on average.

Key To The Game

Ottawa is missing Ullmark, and Buffalo has had problems in goal throughout the season. That puts more pressure on both defenses. Thompson has been finishing chances for the Sabres, while Stutzle and Batherson give Ottawa two dangerous scorers. Special teams could matter, with neither penalty kill stopping even three-quarters of opponents' chances.

Ottawa Senators vs Buffalo Sabres Game Pick

• Buffalo Sabres

Saturday's 3-2 win over Los Angeles gave Buffalo its third consecutive victory, and the Sabres now return home with some confidence. Ottawa has won twice in five games, with defensive problems making life difficult for the Senators. Linus Ullmark remains out, leaving Ottawa without a goalie who has posted a 1.33 GAA and .945 save percentage. Buffalo has Tage Thompson leading the attack with 10 goals, and the Sabres have been finding ways to win close games lately. Ottawa has the scoring to make this competitive, but I like Buffalo to keep winning.

Ottawa Senators vs Buffalo Sabres Over/Under Pick

• Over

Ottawa's goaltending situation is difficult with Ullmark sidelined. Samuel Ersson has a 3.78 GAA, and Jonas Johansson has allowed 4.60 goals per game. Buffalo has concerns in net as well, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen carrying a 3.40 GAA. The Senators gave up six goals in Sunday's loss to Anaheim, while Buffalo recently needed seven goals to beat the Ducks. Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson have nine goals each for Ottawa, and Thompson leads the Sabres with 10. With both teams having trouble defensively, I expect several goals Wednesday. Take the over.