The Colorado Avalanche (2-0-1) will travel to face the Buffalo Sabres (0-2-0) on Monday afternoon. Buffalo has been hit early by injury and hasn’t found any traction, while Colorado is playing with confidence early in the season. Before the puck drops in this Monday matinee in the NHL, continue reading to get my Avalanche vs Sabres prediction.
Our Avalanche vs Sabres Pick
- Pick: Colorado Avalanche to win
- Confidence: 4 out of 5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Colorado Avalanche vs Buffalo Sabres
- Date & Time: Monday, October 13, 2025, 12:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
Recent Form
Colorado arrives 2-0-1 after an opening night win over Los Angeles and a 2–1 victory over Utah in which Scott Wedgewood was outstanding. But the Avs come into this game dealing with some injury issues. Defenseman Samuel Girard is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and Mackenzie Blackwood remains out.
Buffalo is off to a 0-2 start. In their season opener, forward Josh Norris suffered an upper-body injury and is expected to miss significant time. That’s a major blow up the middle, as Norris was a top contributor last season. Buffalo’s offense has sputtered, as they have been outscored 7-1 through two games.
Goaltending
Scott Wedgewood will get the nod for Colorado. He’s already shown he can steal a game, and with Blackwood unavailable, the burden is on him to carry the load. If he keeps turning aside dangerous chances, Colorado will be very hard to beat. Buffalo’s Alex Lyon has started both games between the pipes for the Sabres. He has a .919 save percentage, but needs help from his skaters.
Key Skaters
Nathan MacKinnon leads Colorado’s attack and remains a constant threat with four assists already on the season. Artturi Lehkonen, Martin Necas, and Victor Olofsson will support MacKinnon, with Necas already logging three goals and three assists. Buffalo’s offense will lean on Tage Thompson, their top returning forward, and Rasmus Dahlin on the blue line.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop Type | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Nathan MacKinnon | Points | Over 1.5 |
| Tage Thompson | Goals | Over 0.5 |
| Cale Makar | Assists | Over 0.5 |
Betting Trends & H2H
- The Avalanche are 1-2 on the puckline to start this season.
- Colorado is also 1-2 on over/unders going into this game.
- Buffalo is 0-2 both straight up and on the puckline so far this year.
- The Sabres have had both of their games go under their respective totals.
Avalanche vs Sabres Model Projection
Score Projection: Colorado 4 – Buffalo 1
Win Probability: Colorado 63%, Buffalo 37%
Final Thoughts
Buffalo enters this game shorthanded and under pressure, while Colorado is playing confidently. The Avalanche should win convincingly and I recommend backing the Avs to win this game. I would be cautious with laying the puckline with Colorado after their struggles covering it as a favorite early on. But the Avs should get a third win in four games here.
