The Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres both bring losing streaks into their matchup on Wednesday night in the NHL. Ottawa has dropped two games in a row and the Sabres are still searching for their first win of the 2025-26 season. Someone has to win when these teams take the ice tonight. Before the puck drops, you can find my Senators vs Sabres prediction below.
Our Senators vs Sabres Pick
- Pick: Ottawa Senators to win
- Confidence: ★★★☆☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Ottawa Senators vs Buffalo Sabres
- Date & Time: Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 7:00 PM ET
- Venue: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
Recent Form
Buffalo enters this game 0-3-0, having lost their first three contests of the season. Their offense has struggled to generate consistent pressure, scoring just two goals through three games. One of their top forwards, Josh Norris, is out for a “significant amount of time” with an upper-body injury. That deprives Buffalo of a playmaker that they could really use right now.
Ottawa is 1-2-0 and coming off a 4-1 loss at home to Nashville. That was their second loss in a row after they won their season opener in Tampa Bay just last week. That game also cost them their captain, Brady Tkachuk, who is expected to miss roughly four weeks with an injury. The Senators must find a way to win without their backbone and offensive engine.
Goaltending
Buffalo is likely to rely on Alex Lyon in goal. Lyon has posted a .919 save percentage in three games this season, but the lack of scoring from the Sabres hasn’t helped him at all. Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark has been inconsistent early in the season. He has a 4.07 GAA and .842 save percentage and will try to move both of those numbers in the right direction with a strong showing tonight.
Key Skaters
Ottawa’s Shane Pinto has already made a splash with four goals and one assist in his team’s early games. Jake Sanderson leads the Sens in ice time and has three assists to date. Tage Thompson and Jason Zucker are the only players who have scored so far this season for Buffalo. Without Norris, their scoring depth will be tested.
Best Player Props
| Player | Stat Type | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Shane Pinto (OTT) | Goals | Over 0.5 |
| Tage Thompson (BUF) | Goals | Over 0.5 |
| Jake Sanderson (OTT) | Assists | Over 0.5 |
Betting Trends
- Buffalo is 0-3 on the puckline so far this season.
- Ottawa is 1-2 on the puckline going into this game.
- All three Sabres games have gone under their totals.
- Senators games are 2-1 to the over heading into this matchup.
Senators vs Sabres Model Projection
Score Projection: Senators 4 – Sabres 2
Win Probability: Senators 55%, Sabres 45%
Final Thoughts
It is hard to put any faith in either of these teams right now thanks to how poorly they have played to open the season. But I do think that the offensive upside for the Senators is much higher than that of the Sabres. I’ll go with the Sens to win this game on the road and to continue the season-opening losing streak of Buffalo.
