Away team
New Jersey Devils
54.6%
Fair American
-120
Fair decimal
1.83
New Jersey Devils vs Buffalo Sabres prediction, odds, win probability, and matchup analysis for December 26, 2026
NHL matchup
New Jersey Devils at Buffalo Sabres
View the PlayerWON Model V2 prediction, fair odds, market comparison, team performance, and recent head-to-head history for December 26, 2026.
December 26, 2026
· 6:00 PM CST
Model V2 pick:
New Jersey Devils at 54.6%
Prediction
Model V2 versus market
Compare PlayerWON win probabilities with fair odds and available market data.
Home team
Buffalo Sabres
45.4%
Fair American
+120
Fair decimal
2.2
Simulated betting results
Team performance leading into this game
Model V2 · One-unit bets backing each team before Dec 26, 2026.
All Model Picks
- Bets
- 11
- Record
- 7-4
- Net units
- 0.74
- ROI
- 6.7%
Value Picks
- Bets
- 6
- Record
- 4-2
- Net units
- 1.37
- ROI
- 22.9%
Market Favourite
- Bets
- 9
- Record
- 6-3
- Net units
- 0.65
- ROI
- 7.2%
All Model Picks
- Bets
- 7
- Record
- 3-4
- Net units
- -1.66
- ROI
- -23.7%
Value Picks
- Bets
- 6
- Record
- 1-5
- Net units
- -4.07
- ROI
- -67.8%
Market Favourite
- Bets
- 5
- Record
- 3-2
- Net units
- 0.10
- ROI
- 2.0%
This game and later dates are excluded.
Recent usage
Forward trios & defense pairs
Most-used five-on-five trio and defense pair from each team's last 10 completed regular-season games before Dec 26. Historical usage, not confirmed lines for this matchup.
New Jersey Devils
10 / 10 games covered · Minimum 5 shared minutes
Forward trio
84:14 together · 8 games
- Corsi for / against
- 105 / 60
- Fenwick for / against
- 67 / 40
- Corsi share
- 63.6%
- Fenwick share
- 62.6%
- xG for / against
- 5.88 / 2.30
Defense pair
161:33 together · 10 games
- Corsi for / against
- 192 / 134
- Fenwick for / against
- 119 / 89
- Corsi share
- 58.9%
- Fenwick share
- 57.2%
- xG for / against
- 7.24 / 5.26
Buffalo Sabres
10 / 10 games covered · Minimum 5 shared minutes
Forward trio
89:52 together · 10 games
- Corsi for / against
- 94 / 46
- Fenwick for / against
- 62 / 34
- Corsi share
- 67.1%
- Fenwick share
- 64.6%
- xG for / against
- 5.12 / 2.16
Defense pair
82:50 together · 7 games
- Corsi for / against
- 70 / 73
- Fenwick for / against
- 48 / 49
- Corsi share
- 49.0%
- Fenwick share
- 49.5%
- xG for / against
- 3.17 / 3.45
Ambiguous events and unreliable intervals are excluded. xG requires complete current scoring for each contributing game. These summaries do not change the model prediction.
Goalie predictions
Expected starters
Estimated starting chances among eligible goalies. These are model predictions, not confirmed starters.
New Jersey Devils
Expected starter unavailable.
Buffalo Sabres
Expected starter unavailable.
Goalie context
Recent starting goalies
Each team's last recorded starter before this matchup. These are not confirmed or projected starters for this game. Results cover their last 5 appearances before the matchup.
Connor Hellebuyck
New Jersey Devils · Last start: Oct 27
1 / 1 appearances covered
- Shots faced
- 18
- Save %
- 94.4
- Goals allowed
- 1
- Close-range shots %
- 55.6
Colten Ellis
Buffalo Sabres · Last start: Oct 27
4 / 4 appearances covered
- Shots faced
- 82
- Save %
- 90.2
- Goals allowed
- 8
- Close-range shots %
- 26.8
Pregame context · xG V1
Recent expected goals
Last 10 completed regular-season games before Dec 26, 2026. This game and later dates are excluded.
New Jersey Devils
- xG for / game
- 3.43
- xG against / game
- 2.21
- xG differential / game
- 1.22
10 / 10 selected games fully scored. Historical chance quality, not a forecast of this game's goals.
Buffalo Sabres
- xG for / game
- 3.17
- xG against / game
- 3.59
- xG differential / game
- -0.41
10 / 10 selected games fully scored. Historical chance quality, not a forecast of this game's goals.
Recent play-by-play
Team tendencies before this game
Last 10 completed regular-season games before Dec 26, 2026. This game and later dates are excluded.
New Jersey Devils
10 / 10 games covered
- Attempts / game
- 67.5
- Corsi share (%)
- 58.1
- Fenwick share (%)
- 58.0
- Faceoff win %
- 51.5
- Penalties / game
- 2.5
Shots / game: 32.1 · Shooting: 11.8% · Avg distance: 30.3 ft
Buffalo Sabres
10 / 10 games covered
- Attempts / game
- 57.2
- Corsi share (%)
- 50.0
- Fenwick share (%)
- 49.0
- Faceoff win %
- 47.4
- Penalties / game
- 4.3
Shots / game: 27.6 · Shooting: 9.4% · Avg distance: 30.7 ft
Team comparison
Season and recent form
Season overview
|
NJD
|
Metric |
BUF
|
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Points | 13 |
| 0.667 | Points % | 0.542 |
| 41 | Goals for | 33 |
| 33 | Goals against | 41 |
| 8 | Goal differential | -8 |
| W4 | Current streak | W1 |
Road versus home
|
NJD road
|
Metric |
BUF home
|
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Games | 6 |
| 2 | Wins | 3 |
| 4 | Points | 6 |
| -3 | Goal differential | -5 |
Last 10 games
|
NJD
|
Metric |
BUF
|
|---|---|---|
| 7-3-0 | Record | 4-3-3 |
| 14 | Points | 11 |
| 38 | Goals for | 26 |
| 25 | Goals against | 32 |
| 13 | Goal differential | -6 |
History
Last 10 head-to-head games
NJD
6 wins
10
games reviewed
BUF
4 wins
Total goals37 – 24
Goal differential
+13
/
-13
Goals per game3.7 / 2.4
Shots per game29.8 / 29.3
| Date | Matchup | Score | Shots | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 25, 2026 |
Buffalo Sabres
at
New Jersey Devils
|
2 - 1 | 30 - 28 | View |
| Dec 21, 2025 |
Buffalo Sabres
at
New Jersey Devils
|
3 - 1 | 25 - 27 | View |
| Nov 28, 2025 |
New Jersey Devils
at
Buffalo Sabres
|
5 - 0 | 23 - 42 | View |
| Feb 2, 2025 |
New Jersey Devils
at
Buffalo Sabres
|
3 - 4 | 24 - 34 | View |
| Oct 5, 2024 |
Buffalo Sabres
at
New Jersey Devils
|
1 - 3 | 18 - 37 | View |
| Oct 4, 2024 |
New Jersey Devils
at
Buffalo Sabres
|
4 - 1 | 23 - 31 | View |
| Mar 29, 2024 |
New Jersey Devils
at
Buffalo Sabres
|
2 - 5 | 30 - 36 | View |
| Nov 25, 2023 |
Buffalo Sabres
at
New Jersey Devils
|
2 - 7 | 12 - 37 | View |
| Oct 27, 2023 |
Buffalo Sabres
at
New Jersey Devils
|
4 - 5 | 27 - 39 | View |
| Apr 11, 2023 |
Buffalo Sabres
at
New Jersey Devils
|
2 - 6 | 38 - 30 | View |