Friday’s widely anticipated matchup between the St. John’s Red Storm and the No. 2 ranked UConn Huskies is the first of two Big East semifinal matchups.
Despite riding a six-game winning streak, the Red Storm are heavy underdogs on the Big East Conference bracket to the top-seeded Huskies. However, UConn has a five-game winning streak, and Madison Square Garden will be rocking.
With March Madness odds ready to take off, can the Johnnies pull off the upset? Join me as I examine this Big East semifinal matchup with my free college basketball picks for St. John’s vs. UConn on March 15.
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St. John's vs UConn best odds
St. John's vs UConn picks and predictions
Tonight's matchup is a big one for the St. John’s Red Storm, as they must win this home game to have any chance of hearing their name called on Selection Sunday. The Johnnies have a daunting task before them, with the UConn Huskies ranked No. 2 in the country.
These programs have met twice this season. St. John’s played the Huskies close in a four-point December loss but was blown out in the Garden by 13 points in February. Both contests were low-scoring and ended Under the total, and this one should too.
The Johnnies’ defense can be hit or miss, and it’s been mostly missing. That was by design, as Red Storm coach Rick Pitino has ordered his charges to score more, and they have. The problem with that plan against UConn is they haven’t demonstrated they can score against the Huskies in their previous two meetings and will likely have difficulties this time.
UConn has allowed 67 points or fewer in each of its last five games, with the lowest margin of victory being seven points (at Marquette). It has the length to make life difficult and the experience to avoid getting caught up in the bright lights of “The Mecca.”
The Huskies' defense is legit, and the Red Storm's offense can sometimes be inconsistent. The Johnnies’ scored 82 or more in each of their previous five tilts, but UConn is a different animal. The Huskies have limited the Red Storm to 65 points or fewer in both meetings, and we’ll likely see the same result today.
Finally, UConn plays one of the slowest tempos in college. Look for the more experienced Huskies to turn this game into a snail's pace that should lead to a knock-down, drag-out fight between two teams that have already played two previous low-scoring games against each other.
My best bet: Under 146.5 (-110 at BetMGM)
St. John's vs UConn same-game parlay
Under 146.5
St. John's +9.5
The Johnnies will be fighting today, and they are playing at home. They’ll have plenty of fan support, play in familiar settings, and must win to keep their slim March Madness hopes alive.
St. John’s is 8-7-0 ATS as the home team this season, meeting a UConn side that has covered the number in seven of its 11 away tilts but was just 1-1 ATS against St. John’s this season.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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St. John's vs UConn spread and Over/Under analysis
St. John’s opened at +9.5 (-110) nearly everywhere. Some money came in on the Red Storm — which moved the number dramatically to +8.5 — but UConn money sent the number back to the opener where it resides.
The Red Storm are 4-1-0 ATS over their past five while UConn is 5-0-0 ATS, but the Johnnies can cover a low-scoring affair, are playing essentially a home game, and that number just seems like an overreaction to the blowout February victory.
We’ve seen very little movement from the 146.5 (-110) opener. FanDuel offers the best number on the Over, 145.5 (- 115), while everyone else in the U.S. has 146.5 (-110) for the Over.
St. John’s boasts an Over/Under record of 3-2-0 O/U in its last five tilts, while UConn is 1-4.
St. John's vs UConn betting trend to know
The Under is 5-1 in the Huskies' last six games as a favorite of 7.0-12.5 points. Find more college basketball betting trends for St. John's vs. UConn.
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St. John's vs UConn game info
| Location: | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date: | Friday, March 15, 2024 |
| Tip-off: | 5:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | FOX |
St. John's vs UConn key injuries
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