The Tampa Bay Lightning (35-14-4) host the Buffalo Sabres (32-18-5) at Benchmark International Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The Lightning have won eight straight at home.
Sign up for ESPN+ today to watch 1,000+ out-of-market NHL games, ESPN+ Hockey Night & more.
Here's our prediction for who will capture the victory in Tuesday's matchup.
In the last 10 contests, the Sabres are 7-2-1 while putting up 42 goals against 26 goals allowed. On 26 power-play opportunities during that span, they have scored seven goals (26.9%).
Lightning vs. Sabres Predictions for Tuesday
Our computer projections model for this encounter calls for a final score of Lightning 4, Sabres 2.
- Moneyline Pick: Lightning (-192)
- Total Pick: Under 6.5 (computer predicts 6.2 goals on average)
- Spread Pick: Lightning (-1.5)
Watch 1,000+ out-of-market NHL games, ESPN+ Hockey Night & more streaming all season on ESPN+.
Lightning Splits and Trends
- The Lightning (35-14-4 overall) have an 8-4-12 record in matchups that have needed overtime.
- Tampa Bay has 16 points (7-7-2) in the 16 games it has played that were decided by one goal.
- Looking at the five times this season the Lightning finished a game with just one goal, they have a 2-2-1 record, good for five points.
- Tampa Bay has taken 11 points from the 12 games this season when it scored a pair of goals (4-5-3 record).
- The Lightning have scored at least three goals in 34 games (29-5-0, 58 points).
- In the 16 games when Tampa Bay has capitalized on a single power-play goal, it picked up 22 points after finishing 10-4-2.
- When it has outshot opponents, Tampa Bay is 17-9-3 (37 points).
- The Lightning have been outshot by opponents 23 times, and went 17-5-1 (35 points).
Sabres Splits and Trends
- The Sabres have a 6-5-11 record in overtime games this season and a 32-18-5 overall record.
- Buffalo has earned 13 points (4-2-5) in its 11 games decided by one goal.
- This season the Sabres registered only one goal in six games and they finished 0-5-1 in those matchups.
- When Buffalo has scored exactly two goals this season, they've earned four points (2-6-0 record).
- The Sabres have scored three or more goals in 38 games, earning 64 points from those contests.
- This season, Buffalo has recorded a single power-play goal in 19 games has a record of 12-4-3 in those matchups.
- When outshooting its opponent this season, Buffalo is 10-8-2 (22 points).
- The Sabres' opponents have had more shots in 35 games. The Sabres finished 22-10-3 in those contests (47 points).
Looking for NHL tickets? Head to StubHub today and see your team live.
Team Stats Comparison
| Lightning Rank | Lightning AVG | Sabres AVG | Sabres Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | 3.49 | Goals Scored | 3.4 | 5th |
| 2nd | 2.53 | Goals Allowed | 3.04 | 14th |
| 16th | 28 | Shots | 27.6 | 19th |
| 7th | 26.1 | Shots Allowed | 29.7 | 26th |
| 14th | 21.43% | Power Play % | 19.88% | 18th |
| 3rd | 84.24% | Penalty Kill % | 82.55% | 8th |
Lightning vs. Sabres Game Time and TV Channel
- When: Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN+
- Live Stream: Watch this game on ESPN+
- Where: Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida
Sign up for ESPN+ to watch the Lightning take on Sabres.