The Columbus Blue Jackets visit the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Friday night, puck drop at 7:00 PM ET. If you have never built a same game parlay before, this matchup is a friendly place to start. The Sabres are home favorites at roughly -175, the total is set at 6.5 goals, and both teams have a couple of players whose numbers make the prop markets easy to understand.

A same game parlay (SGP) simply bundles several bets from one game into a single ticket, and every leg has to hit for the ticket to cash. Today’s build has four legs: Buffalo on the moneyline, over 6.5 total goals, Tage Thompson to score anytime, and Zach Werenski over 2.5 shots on goal. Because parlay pricing depends on your sportsbook, check the combined payout on your own app before locking anything in.

Leg 1: Sabres Moneyline

A moneyline bet is the simplest wager in hockey: pick the team that wins the game, overtime and shootouts included. Buffalo is sitting around -175 at most books, with Columbus near +145. That price reflects a real schedule edge. The Blue Jackets played Thursday night and beat Dallas 2-1 in a shootout, so they are on the second game of a back-to-back. The Sabres, who dropped a 2-1 decision to Ottawa on Wednesday, get a full day of rest.

Buffalo enters at 7-5-3 and Columbus at 7-7, and the Blue Jackets are also thin on the back end with Ivan Provorov week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Keep in mind the Oct. 1 meeting between these teams ended in a 6-3 Columbus win, so this is not a lock. It is simply the most sensible foundation leg.

Leg 2: Over 6.5 Total Goals

A total is a bet on the combined goals scored by both teams. The line is 6.5, and the over is priced close to even money at some books, which tells you the market sees a fairly balanced scoring game. That is exactly why it pairs well with a Buffalo win and a Thompson goal.

If the Sabres are going to win comfortably and Thompson is going to find the net, the game needs goals to get there. Their first meeting this season produced nine. Columbus also has a goalie rotation between Cam Talbot and Jet Greaves, and Buffalo is without Alex Lyon, who is on injured reserve. This leg adds a nice payout boost for a modest amount of added risk. For newer bettors, our live NHL odds page is a handy way to compare totals across books.

Leg 3: Tage Thompson Anytime Goal

An anytime goal scorer prop is exactly what it sounds like: you win if the player scores at any point in regulation or overtime. Thompson is the headliner. He has 10 goals and eight assists in 15 games this season, including five goals and nine points in his last four games, and he has 11 goals and six assists in 17 career games against Columbus.

The shot volume is what makes this attractive. Thompson has led the league in shots this season, firing 65 through his first 15 games, a pace of more than four per night. Prices on his anytime goal have been listed around +110 to +120 depending on the book. A bet that pays more than even money on a player who scores this often is why he anchors the parlay.

Leg 4: Zach Werenski Over 2.5 Shots on Goal

A shots on goal prop is one of the best entry points for beginners because it does not depend on a puck going in. Werenski, the Columbus defenseman, has 36 shots in 13 games this season, an average of 2.77 per game. He is averaging 28:30 of ice time, and with Provorov out, his workload has gone up even further. Werenski also works on the first power play unit, which creates extra shooting chances.

Some books are posting a higher 3.5 line with plus-money odds, but 2.5 is the safer, beginner-friendly version. The risk worth noting: if Columbus falls behind, Werenski typically fires more, but a blowout can limit his ice time. Prop prices move, so confirm his line before you bet.

The Full Parlay

Putting it together, the ticket is Sabres moneyline, over 6.5 total goals, Tage Thompson anytime goal, and Zach Werenski over 2.5 shots on goal. The story it tells is simple: Buffalo has the rest advantage, Thompson gets his goal, the game clears the total, and Werenski pushes the pace for a Columbus team trying to catch up. That script lets all four legs live together without cancelling each other out. Since the legs all come from the same game, sportsbooks adjust the combined price, so look at the final payout on your app and only stake what you are comfortable losing. If you are new to sportsbooks, our DraftKings promo code page explains one popular offer for first-time users.

Parlays are fun but hard to hit, so treat this as an entertainment bet and keep your stake small. Please bet responsibly.