Posted at 12:30 PM EST odds are subject to change.

Pinnacle +108 BET365 +100 SportsInteraction +100 888Sport +100

Winnipeg +108 over New Jersey

7:07 PM EST. OT included. The Jets were tough luck losers last time out against Columbus, dropping a 3-1 decision in a game Winnipeg outshot the Blue Jackets 38-to-23. It was the second game in a row the Jets outshot their opposition by double digits, as they did the same to Seattle (40-to-29) in a 3-2 overtime win on Valentine’s Day. Over their last five games, the Jets have outshot everyone but the Blackhawks, but that game was like a glorified practice, where Winnipeg took a 4-1 decision from Chicago.

Defense was supposed to be the weakness for the Jets this season, but not only did Josh Morrissey make his first All-Star team, but Winnipeg has allowed the second fewest goals in the league with just 143 through 55 games. The Jets have gotten stingier as the season has worn on, allowing three goals or less in 13 of their last 23 games. Of course, we know that Connor Hellebuyck is the backbone of the Jets, but he is once again questionable tonight with an illness. However, when asked if he would play his star goaltender on back-to-back nights here and in New York, Jets coach Rick Bowness said he’d “consider anything” at this point, so it doesn't sound like Helly is too under the weather. Regardless, we don't care who plays net for the Jets.

The Devils return home after four straight games on the road, including yesterday’s 5-2 win in Pittsburgh. We’re not going to take anything away from that W, but we will point out that New Jersey left it all on the ice in that game, firing 43 shots at the Pens while skating circles around them. As good of a win as that is, if we look at the Devils’ performance over the last two weeks, we see that they are a middle-of-the-road puck possession team, which is a far cry from the days earlier in the year when they were a beast in that department. By contrast, the Jets are ranked fourth during that span.

With Winnipeg's loss to Columbus last game out, recency bias is in play. New Jersey beat Pitt last night by three goals. That's a resounding win. Add more recency bias to the Devils' appeal. What sticks out most, however, is that New Jersey is considered to be elite while Winnipeg is not considered to be, yet oddsmakers made the Devils just -120 favorite. When Winnipeg plays at a top-5 or Top -10 team, they're always being offered more than they are here. For instance, they were taking back 2-1 at Boston, +158 at Washington, +145 at Toronto, and they were taking back this exact same price at Nashville very recently. New Jersey is vastly superior to Nashville. This line screams Winnipeg is the play today and we're on it.

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