The Bruins will host the Sabres in Game 4 of the first round of the 2026 NHL Playoffs on Sunday afternoon, with first puck drop set for 2:00 p.m. ET. On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Bruins are slight -112 home favorites on the Moneyline, and the game’s total is set at O/U 5.5 goals.
Below, I’ll provide a Bruins vs. Sabres Game 4 prediction and pick.
Bruins vs. Sabres Game 4 prediction, preview
Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo fell behind 1-0 early in Game 3 but scored three unanswered goals to take a 2-1 series lead. It was a good sign that this young Sabres team didn’t crumble in its road first playoff game in 14 years, either. The return of Noah Ostlund proved massive for the club, as he recorded a goal and an assist in his first career playoff game. Buffalo continues to struggle on the power play, going 0-for-5 in Game 3 and 0-for-14 this series. Head coach Lindy Ruff has finally made a change to the power play units; however, Ostlund is taking Jack Quinn’s spot on the first unit.
Ostlund is just another quick, defensive forward with good playmaking that should only create more high-quality chances for the Sabres. Alex Lyon received his first playoff start as a member of the Sabres, and he stopped 24-of-25 shots. He also brings more fire than Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and has already gotten under the skin of both Boston players and fans.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins find themselves down 2-1, but this is a team that both responds well to losses and plays well at home. Boston sported the second-best home record during the regular season at 29-11-1 and has won each of its last seven games as favorites when coming off a loss. Interestingly enough, the Bruins have covered the Puck Line (-1.5) in each of their last 13 day games following a loss.
Jeremy Swayman remains elite between the pipes for Boston, with a 2.38 GAA and .931 SV%, while the offense remains a bit inconsistent. The club failed to score a power play goal on four opportunities in Game 3, and it needs special-teams help to outlast the Sabres. Now that these teams are a bit more familiar with each other, I’d expect some more urgency from the Bruins offensively, especially because they realistically would be up 2-1 already in this series, if not for the Game 1 collapse.
Bruins vs. Sabres Game 4 pick, best bet
Best Bet: David Pastrnak Anytime Goalscorer (+160)
Pastrnak hasn’t found the back of the net in back-to-back games, but he has scored in his four previous meetings against the Sabres. He has averaged seven shot attempts per game this series, and the Sabres have given up 12 high-danger chances through three games.
Strong Lean: OVER 5.5 Total Goals (-130)
The total went under in Games 2 and 3, but these teams know each other’s weaknesses by now. Boston should come out strong in front of its fans, and Buffalo created more high-quality chances in Game 3 following line changes.
