Posted at 11:15 AM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle +114  BET365  +115 Sportsinteraction +115 888Sport +115

New Jersey +115 over Tampa Bay

7:07 PM EST. This is the third time in four games the Devils have played the Lightning, having lost both previous meetings in New Jersey last week. Sandwiched in between these games with the Bolts was a 4-2 loss in Florida last night. For those counting at home, that is now three losses in a row for Jersey to those teams from the Sunshine State.

The Lightning have all the pedigree in the world, and are still regarded as the gatekeepers of the Stanley Cup out East until someone comes along and knocks them out of that position. For the last three years, the Bolts have been the team to represent the East in the Stanley Cup Finals. Tampa won two, but could not finish last year with the Avalanche ripping Lord Stanley's cup from the Bolts.

The Lightning have played a ton of hockey over the last three years, and there is wear on all of their tires. The core group is aging and not the spring chickens they once were. Coming into tonight's game, the Lightning have lost 11 of their last 17 games going back to a shutout loss in Arizona in mid-February. However, the Bolts have won three straight, including two against the Devils. Recency bias looms large here, and so we must take advantage.

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