Penguins vs Sabres Prediction, Odds & Best Bets (Feb. 5)

• The Penguins and Sabres are both holding onto playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
• Pittsburgh leads the NHL in goals over the last 10 games.
• See my Penguins vs Sabres predictions, picks, and latest odds for Feb 5.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins (28-15-12) and Buffalo Sabres (31-18-6) will square off Thursday night in a battle between two of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference.

Powered by a red-hot offense, the Penguins are 7-1-2 over their last 10 games. They scored 46 goals during that stretch, most in the NHL. The Sabres have posted similar results of late, going 6-2-2 over the same period while scoring 40 times – tied for 3rd most.

Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM ET from KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

Let’s take a closer look at my Penguins vs. Sabres prediction, as well as player props, odds, and projected lineups.

Penguins vs Sabres Prediction

• Pick: Over 6.5 goals (-120 at DraftKings)

There is real potential for fireworks in this matchup. The Penguins and Sabres are both scoring goals in bulk, and they’re doing so consistently. Pittsburgh has found the back of the net at least three times in nine of their last 10, and scored four or more seven different times.

The top line of Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell, and Bryan Rust has performed excellently all season long, but it’s the secondary scoring that is really helping the offense take off. Yegor Chinakov, Anthony Mantha and Tommy Novak – all of whom were acquired by GM Kyle Dubas over the past calendar year – are piling up the points at 5-on-5, ranking 1st, 2nd, and tied for 3rd on the team in that area during this 10-game stretch.

The Penguins pick up a point on Long Island. pic.twitter.com/wbJq0MVqhv

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 4, 2026

Depth scoring makes the Penguins difficult to slow down at full-strength, and they also feature the league’s 3rd most efficient power play at 26.4%.

Buffalo is more than capable of finding the goals to keep up. They have a lot of pop all throughout their lineup, and their offense is especially potent on home soil, where they’ve scored at a higher per 60 rate than all but the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, and Edmonton Oilers.

At least seven goals have been scored in three of the past four head-to-head matchups. Expect that trend to continue.

Penguins vs Sabres Player Props

Evgeni Malkin Over 0.5 assists (+114 at FanDuel)

Malkin’s assist rate has really taken off while playing with Chinakhov and Novak. He has assists in seven of his past 10 games with those two as his running mates at even-strength.

Evgeni Malkin with the NASTY no-look spinning pass to Egor Chinakhov who puts it away 😮‍💨🔥 pic.twitter.com/ir6qI9X8Fw

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) January 30, 2026

Factor in he also skates on an elite top power play going up against a team that’s given up a power play marker in four straight, and there are a lot of paths for success.

Alex Tuch Over 0.5 points (-154 at DraftKings)

Tuch has piled up the points all season long, especially on home soil. He has hit the scoresheet in 19 of 27 games in Buffalo (70%) and eight straight. He should be involved in plenty of chances in a high-pace, high total affair.

Penguins vs Sabres Odds

The Sabres are trading as -130 favorites, implying a 56.5% chance of handing the Penguins their third consecutive loss. The Penguins are +118 ‘dogs on the road, indicating a 45.9% chance of grabbing their 29th victory of the season.

Pittsburgh is -215 to cover a +1.5 spread, which honestly feels generous. They haven’t lost by multiple goals since before the Christmas break.

Odds as of 1:25 PM ET at NHL betting apps. Check out the latest NHL odds for all of tonight’s games.

Penguins vs Sabres Projected Lineups

Penguins Projected Lineup

Forwards

Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Yegor Chinakhov – Evgeni Malkin – Tommy Novak
Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari

Defense

Tyler Wotherspoon – Erik Karlsson
Brett Kulak – Ryan Shea
Ilya Solovyov – Connor Clifton

Goaltenders

Arturs Silovs
Stuart Skinner

Injuries: Kris Letang (foot), Jack St. Ivany (hand).

Sabres Projected Lineup

Forwards

Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn
Josh Doan – Noah Ostlund – Konsta Helenius
Isak Rosen – Tyson Kozak – Beck Malenstyn

Defense

Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus Dahlin
Bowen Byram – Owen Power
Zach Metsa – Jacob Bryson

Goaltenders

Alex Lyon
Colten Ellis

Injuries: Zach Benson (upper-body), Jordan Greenway (abdomen), Josh Norris (ribs), Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen (lower-body), Justin Danforth (lower-body), Jiri Kulich (ear), Connor Timmins (leg).

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Alex Lyon will get the nod for the Sabres. He owns a .914 save percentage on the season and has performed very well, although he has given up three goals in back-to-back starts.

The Penguins tend to alternate goaltenders, making Arturs Silovs the likely starter. He has posted a .895 save percentage and given up 3+ goals in 11 of his last 15 games.