Canadiens vs Sabres Prediction, Picks & Odds for Thursday's NHL Playoffs Game 5

Neil Parker - Analyst at Covers.com
Neil Parker • Betting Analyst 16+ years betting experience
Updated: May 13, 2026 , 01:57 PM ET • 3 min read

Expect this series to return to high-scoring ways in Game 5.

NHL

Match starts: 27 hrs
MON
34 %
BUF
66 %
EXPERT PICK - TOTAL
o5.5 (-125)
Read Analysis
NHL, Montreal Canadiens, Ivan Demidov
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Montreal Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov.

The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres will play a pivotal Game 5 at the KeyBank Center on Thursday, May 13.

My top Canadiens vs. Sabres predictions and NHL picks call for a high-scoring bout in Buffalo.

Canadiens vs Sabres Game 5 prediction

Canadiens vs Sabres best bet: Over 5.5 (-125)

The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres scored six or more goals in the first three games of Round 2, and I’m anticipating the increased workload continuing to catch up with Habs No. 1 Jakub Dobes.

He’s started 12 consecutive games dating back to the regular season, and his previous high was four straight starts. Dobes sporting a ho-hum .895 SV% in Round 2 after posting a .923 mark in the opening round reinforces the mileage is taking a toll.

Additionally, Sabres starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen posted a .909 SV% with 0.311 goals saved above expected (GSAx) per 60 minutes during the regular season, so I’m anticipating his play to also dip after turning away 28 of 30 shots with 1.62 GSAx in Game 4.

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Canadiens vs Sabres Game 5 same-game parlay

Montreal turning to Jake Evans between Ivan Demidov and Alex Newhook has paid off, with the trio pacing the Habs in Corsi For percentage and expected goals at 5-on-5 — combining for 12 points in the series. Demidov and Newhook have also both individually marked the scoresheet in three of the four Round 2 games.

Canadiens vs Sabres SGP

  • Over 5.5
  • Ivan Demidov Over 0.5 points
  • Alex Newhook Over 0.5 points

Canadiens vs Sabres odds for Game 5

  • Moneyline: Canadiens -105 | Sabres -115
  • Puck Line: Canadiens +1.5 (-250) | Sabres -1.5 (+205)
  • Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-125)| Under 5.5 (+105)

Canadiens vs Sabres trend

The Buffalo Sabres have covered the puck line in 10 of their last 15 games (+7.55 Units / 33% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Sabres.

How to watch Canadiens vs Sabres Game 5

Location KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
Date Thursday, May 14, 2026
Puck drop 7:00 p.m. ET
TV Sportsnet, TNT

Canadiens vs Sabres latest injuries

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Neil Parker - Covers
Betting Analyst

Neil Parker is, first and foremost, a sports fan. A huge supporter of the Cowboys, Cubs, and Maple Leafs, he has managed to parlay his passion into writing gigs at some of the top websites in the industry.

Neil takes a numbers-based approach to his handicapping and complements his in-depth statistical analysis with a keen eye on the markets to provide the best available odds. He loves to lean on his rolodex of idioms to offset his inner nerd. When it comes to wagering, he throws down on anything that catches his eye at bet365, Betway and BetVictor. He also keeps a close eye on CoolBet because the polar bear brand often has outlier NHL and NFL moneyline prices.

Neil graduated with honors from St. Thomas University in 2007 before completing his BEd at Acadia University in 2010. After teaching a myriad of courses and subjects, he found a groove delivering fun lessons to exceptional learners in non-traditional classroom environments. If his decade-plus teaching run taught him anything about sports betting, it’s to stay the course and use the summer – or offseason – to refresh and prepare to be better in the year to come.

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