The Sabres will play the Lightning on Saturday, February 28th, 2026. Your timezone's face off time is 7:08 pm EST. Check local listings or your nearest streaming app for coverage.
Learn more about NHL Betting with our handy tutorial and guide. We explain money line, total and puck line bets. Plus, a great discussion about exotic bets like NHL parlays and props.
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Table of Contents
- Matchup Stats
- Moneyline Mage
- Best Odds
- Interactive Odds Example
- Prop Bets
- Team Standings
- Futures Odds
- Team Pages
- Other Games Today
Key Matchup Stats
With the 2025-26 NHL regular season in full swing, let's turn the page to an exciting matchup between the Buffalo Sabres and Tampa Bay Lightning. The puck hits the ice on Saturday, February 28th, 2026. Each team's performance trends are starting to firm up. Keeping that in mind, have a look at stats below before you place a wager.
- SportsBetting3.com Power Rankings - The Buffalo Sabres currently have a 93.33 SportsBetting3.com power ranking with the Tampa Bay Lightning heading into this matchup with a 98.67 power ranking. The team with the higher power ranking is often the favorite.
- Away Buffalo Sabres - The Buffalo Sabres have a 15-11-3 record as an away team, ranking them 5th in the league for away team wins. On the flip side, the Buffalo Sabres now rank 7th for away team losses.
- Home Tampa Bay Lightning - The Tampa Bay Lightning start this game with a 18-9-0 record as a home team. That puts them 2nd in the league for home team wins. However, they rank 8th for home team losses.
- Goals Scored - At this point in the 2025-26 NHL season, the Buffalo Sabres rank 6th (195) for goals scored. Their opponent, the Tampa Bay Lightning, currently rank 2nd (199) in the league for goals scored.
- Goals Against - Teams that allow fewer goals tend to have better goalies and defensive capabilities. The Buffalo Sabres rank 15th (176) in the league for goals scored against them. Looking at the Tampa Bay Lightning, they've given up 140 goals this season, ranking them 24th in the league.
- Shootout Records - If the game is tied at the end of regulation and overtime, a shootout will be held to determine the winner. Keep this in mind: the Buffalo Sabres have a 3-0 shootout win-loss record, with the Tampa Bay Lightning owning a 4-2 shootout record.
- Team Records - The Buffalo Sabres have a 32-19-6 record and the Tampa Bay Lightning hold a 37-14-4 at this point in the 2025-26 NHL regular season.
Moneyline Mage
Spelling out the winners with humor since the middle ages.
Gather 'round, muggles! Buffalo Sabres take on Tampa Bay Lightning...two powerhouses clash on the ice... Sabres with a 0.561 win percentage...while Lightning boast a 0.673 win percentage... It's a battle of wills...review each team's stats and standing before the game begins... Lightning favored at home... Have a look at this matchup's game and player prop bets below... Place your bets at BetRivers or BetMGM... (Learn how to bet on hockey at SportsBetting3.com)... Who will emerge victorious in this wizardly showdown?
Best Sabres at Lightning Odds
| Underdog Buffalo Sabres | Favorite Tampa Bay Lightning |
|---|---|
| Over | Under |
|---|---|
| Underdog Buffalo Sabres | Favorite Tampa Bay Lightning |
|---|---|
Matchup Odds FAQs
The Tampa Bay Lightning are the -250 moneyline favorite at BetMGM and the Buffalo Sabres are the +200 moneyline underdog at BetMGM.
The best over line is 6.5 -105 goals at BetMGM, which means you risk $105 to win $100 betting the over. The best under line is 6.5 -115 goals at BetMGM, and that means you risk $115 to win $100 betting the under.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are -1.5 +100 puck line favorites at BetMGM, while the Buffalo Sabres are +1.5 -120 puck line underdogs at BetMGM.
NHL Odds Example
|
Game |
 BetMGMBet |
|---|---|
Sabres
Lightning
2/28/26 7:08pm EST | +200-250 |
- Buffalo Sabres bettors risk $100 to win $200 at +200 odds. The implied probability for Buffalo Sabres is 33.33%.
- Tampa Bay Lightning bettors risk $100 to win $40 at -250 odds. The implied probability for Tampa Bay Lightning is 71.43%.
Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay Lightning Prop Bets
| BetMGM Bet |
|
|---|---|
Sabres
Lightning
Both Teams Score 2+ Goals
2/28/26 7:08pm EST | Yes -185No +135Bet |
Sabres
Total Goals
BUF at TBL 2/28/26 7:08pm EST | 2.5 o -1102.5 u -125Bet |
Lightning
Total Goals
BUF at TBL 2/28/26 7:08pm EST | 3.5 o -1453.5 u +105Bet |
Brandon Hagel
To Score 3 Goals
BUF at TBL 2/28/26 7:08pm EST | Yes +6600Bet |
| BetMGM | |
Brayden Point
To Score 3 Goals
BUF at TBL 2/28/26 7:08pm EST | Yes +8000Bet |
Jake Guentzel
To Score 3 Goals
BUF at TBL 2/28/26 7:08pm EST | Yes +4500Bet |
Nikita Kucherov
To Score 3 Goals
BUF at TBL 2/28/26 7:08pm EST | Yes +3300Bet |
Tage Thompson
To Score 3 Goals
BUF at TBL 2/28/26 7:08pm EST | Yes +5000Bet |
Team Standings
| Team | GP | W | L | OTL | wPct | Pts | ROW | GF | GA | Diff | Home | Away | SO | L10 | Strk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Sabres | 68 | 42 | 20 | 6 | 0.618 | 90 | 38 | 237 | 200 | +37.0 | 22-9-3 | 20-11-3 | 4-0 | 9-1-0 | W2 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 66 | 41 | 21 | 4 | 0.621 | 86 | 37 | 237 | 184 | +53.0 | 20-12-0 | 21-9-4 | 4-2 | 3-7-0 | W1 |
Buffalo Sabres & Tampa Bay Lightning Futures Odds
Latest Stanley Cup odds, if available, for each team. Review odds for other teams and learn how Stanley Cup betting works. See past Championship results and learn how to bet NHL teasers, props and parlays.
Buffalo Sabres Stanley Cup Odds|
Team | BetMGM |
|---|---|
| Sabres | +1800 Bet |
|
Team | BetMGM |
|---|---|
| Lightning | +425 Bet |
Buffalo Sabres & Tampa Bay Lightning Team Pages
Review each team's season point total odds, futures odds, betting bonuses and other valuable information on our exclusive team betting odds pages. Team betting odds and stats update throughout the season:
How to Bet on the Game
Time needed: 4 minutes.
How to Bet on the Buffalo Sabres vs Tampa Bay Lightning NHL Game
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Open a new sports betting account before game time.
Review our list of sports betting sites. Open a new account before the game starts on Saturday, February 28th, 2026 at 7:08 pm EST, making sure to enter all your personal details correctly. Don't forget to add your bonus code.
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Visit the sportsbook’s cashier, banking, or deposit page.
Navigate to the sportsbook's deposit page. Use your Visa card or MasterCard, or deposit with a bank transfer, or other methods like Paypal.
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Tap to the sportsbook's NHL page, look for the Buffalo Sabres vs Tampa Bay Lightning Game.
Navigate to the sportsbook's NHL page. Next, look for live or upcoming matchups. Select the Buffalo Sabres vs Tampa Bay Lightning Game.
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Choose your bet and place a wager.
Choose your bet and then use the funds you deposited to place a wager. The sportsbook will pay your winnings or deduct a losing wager from your account balance after the game.
Other February 28, 2026 NHL Games
- Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers - 2/28/26 12:38pm EST
- Boston Bruins vs Philadelphia Flyers - 2/28/26 3:08pm EST
- Edmonton Oilers vs San Jose Sharks - 2/28/26 4:08pm EST
- New Jersey Devils vs St. Louis Blues - 2/28/26 5:08pm EST
- New York Islanders vs Columbus Blue Jackets - 2/28/26 6:08pm EST
- Chicago Blackhawks vs Colorado Avalanche - 2/28/26 6:08pm EST
- Ottawa Senators vs Toronto Maple Leafs - 2/28/26 7:08pm EST
- Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens - 2/28/26 7:08pm EST
- Calgary Flames vs Los Angeles Kings - 2/28/26 7:08pm EST
- Detroit Red Wings vs Carolina Hurricanes - 2/28/26 7:08pm EST
- Nashville Predators vs Dallas Stars - 2/28/26 8:08pm EST
- Vancouver Canucks vs Seattle Kraken - 2/28/26 10:08pm EST