Washington Capitals vs Buffalo Sabres Prediction: Youth Movement vs The Twilight Tour
Updated July 9, 2026
The Washington Capitals travel to Buffalo hoping to keep their playoff hopes alive in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals are coming from a 4-1 loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday night and are facing and even tougher opponent in the Sabres. The Buffalo Sabres have developed into one of the NHL’s most exciting young teams. Tage Thompson continues to lead Buffalo’s offense with his elite scoring ability, alongside Jack Quinn who just picked up his first NHL hattrick, while defenseman Rasmus Dahlin remains the backbone of the Sabres’ blue line and one of the league’s most productive offensive defensemen. Following the loss against Flyers, the Capitals has lost 4 of the past 5 games. Find more betting picks on our NHL page.
Pick: Buffalo Sabres Moneyline (-120) ATS PRO Confidence: ★★★★☆
Buffalo thrives on speed and offensive creativity. Thompson continues to be one of the NHL’s most dangerous shooters, while Dahlin drives the team’s transition game and power play from the blue line. Washington’s biggest weapon remains its power play. When Ovechkin gets open in his usual spot, the Capitals can quickly swing momentum. Worth noting is that Washington played Philadelphia on Wednesday night which should add some fatigue.
With Thompson leading the charge and Dahlin quarterbacking the power play, Buffalo’s offense has the ability to overwhelm opponents quickly.
The Sabres are currently one of the top teams in the Atlantic Division with 40 wins and are on an 8-game winning streak.
The Capitals traded franchise legend John Carlson to the Anaheim Ducks on March 5, 2026. Washington is currently "retooling" and their defense is significantly younger and less experienced than in years past.
Buffalo’s speed and offensive depth make them a difficult matchup for Washington. With the Sabres playing at home and Thompson continuing to produce offensively, the best value in this matchup sits with the Sabres on the moneyline, to make it 9 in a row. Not to mention the recent form between the two, with Sabres riding high and Capitals with barely any momentum, getting further and further away from the Wild Card spot. ATS PROAffiliate DisclosureATS.io uses affiliate links. If you sign up through a link on this page, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Rankings are based on hands-on testing and published criteria, and affiliate relationships do not determine placement.
