The Los Angeles Kings and Buffalo Sabres will meet in NHL action on Thursday night in what could be the game of the night on the ice. Both teams are enjoying winning streaks heading into this game and only one of those winning streaks will survive this contest. Which team will that be? I try to answer that question right here, as I make my Kings vs Sabres prediction.
Our Kings vs Sabres Pick
Sabres ML ATS PRO
Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
Matchup: Los Angeles Kings vs Buffalo Sabres
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 2026, 7:00 PM ET
Venue: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, New York
Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
Recent form: Buffalo is 7-2-1 across the last 10 games with a four-game winning streak heading into this matchup. Los Angeles has a 4-2-4 record over its last 10 games and has won three games in a row going into Thursday's play.
Injuries and availability: Los Angeles captain Anze Kopitar has been listed on injured reserve in late January and he is expected to miss the next month or so for Los Angeles. Buffalo continues to monitor center depth with Josh Norris sidelined until early February. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is listed as day-to-day going into this game, which is big news considering how well he has played in goal.
Goaltending: The goaltending situation in this game is interesting for both teams. The Kings will have to choose between Anton Forsberg and Darcy Kuemper here. Kuemper is expected to start, though both goaltenders have similar numbers this season and have both played well. With Luukkonen questionable for Buffalo, we could see Alex Lyon active in net. Lyon has a 2.70 GAA and two shutouts on the season.
These teams have very different strengths entering this matchup. The Sabres are a better offensive team and average more shots per game than the Kings. But LA is a better defensive team and will try to use that to steal a win on the road.
Betting Trends & H2H
This is the first of two regular-season games between the Kings and Sabres.
The Sabres are 30-21 on the puckline going into this matchup.
The Kings are 19-32 in the puckline market so far this season.
Kings vs Sabres Model Projection
Score Projection: Los Angeles Kings 2 – Buffalo Sabres 3 Win Probability: Los Angeles Kings 45%, Buffalo Sabres 55%
Final Thoughts
Buffalo carries the higher ceiling at home with better current form, a reliable penalty kill, and a top scorer in Tage Thompson who can tilt things in their favor during his minutes on the ice. Los Angeles remains disciplined defensively, but uncertainty around Anze Kopitar and a lack of consistent offensive output should help Buffalo to get the job done in this matchup. I'll take Buffalo to win this matchup on the moneyline on Thursday night in Western New York.
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