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In the second Big East clash of conference tournament Thursday, the St. John's Red Storm square off against the Villanova Wildcats in New York City at Madison Square Garden. When this highly anticipated matchup is underway, there will be plenty of points scored between both schools, so be sure to stay glued to your seat for the high-flying action! In the meantime, let's observe our college basketball odds series, which includes the St. John's Villanova prediction and pick. Bring it on!
St. John's storms into this Big East showdown against Villanova after properly dismantling DePaul 92-73 in the first round of the tournament, reminding the nation that they are among one of the highest-scoring offenses that the country has to offer. Despite this furious offensive pace that the Red Storm strives themselves upon, they only finished 8th among the 11 teams in the Big East Conference with a 17-14 (8-11) overall record. Prior to their win against DePaul, St. Johns were losers of three out of their last four games.
The Wildcats looked the part of a team with championship aspirations during the conclusion of regular season play, winning 16 of their final 19 games down the stretch with statement wins against UConn, Marquette, Xavier, and Providence twice. They also managed a resume-building win during non-conference play against then #17 ranked Tennessee on Nov. 20th. Villanova also can make you pay at the foul line, as they are on track to have one of the most prolific free-throw shooting teams in college basketball history.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the St. John's-Villanova Big East Tournament odds
Big East Tournament Odds: St. John's-Villanova Odds
St. John's: +7 (-110)
Villanova: -7 (-110)
Over: 148.5 (-110)
Under: 148.5 (-110)
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Why St. John's Could Cover the Spread
Offense, offense, and maybe a little emphasis on the fast break? One of the quickest teams in the nation, teams that have played St. Johns immediately point to their offensive prowess that averages a mind-blowing 80.1 PPG, good for 15th in the nation. St. Johns has scored at least 80 points in seven straight games dating back to mid-February. Additionally, the Red Storm excel at dishing out assists and finding the open man, as they are 4th in America averaging 19.0 APG. Obviously, St. Johns will cover the spread if they continue to shoot the ball at a high rate and force Villanova to get in a run and gun type game. The Red Storm's weakness lies in their defense, as they are giving up a poor 74.4 PPG. Even if they can play an above-average game defensively, St. Johns can focus on enforcing their brand of basketball against the Wildcats. Guards Julian Champagnie and Posh Alexander along with junior forward Aaron Wheeler are all averaging above 10 PPG and are a big part of why St. Johns has been so successful in putting the ball through the net. Champagnie would not be stopped against DePaul, torturing the Demons by shooting 50% from the floor and dropping a monumental 26 points in the victory.
Why Villanova Could Cover the Spread
Villanova will want to slow down the tempo early and run their offensive sets late in the shot clock. Nearly the opposite of how St. John's goes about their business, the Wildcats aren't afraid to stay patient and force teams to make mistakes. The Red Storm are surprisingly efficient in limiting turnovers for a team that's high-paced. Entering Thursday, Villanova is recognized in the world of college basketball as a top-notch half-court set offense, shooting 50.7% from inside the arc and a very respectable 36.6% from deep. Not to mention, but Villanova is a tremendous offensive rebounding team, an element that the Red Storm struggles with mightily. The Cats have earned 31.1% of offensive rebounds compared to the same exact percentage that St. Johns has allowed during the 2021-2022 season. Be on the lookout for senior standout guard Collin Gillespie, who has endured a great deal in recent years to become Villanova's leading scorer with 16.3 PPG. Gillespie is the type of game-changer that can take over with ease, and has the ability to leave teams flabbergasted in the most astonishing of ways.
Final St. John's-Villanova Prediction & Pick
In both matchups played between the two schools this year, Villanova edged out the Red Storm because of their swarming defense and their ability to get stops at the most timely of times. Expect Villanova's feisty defense that holds opponents to 32% from three and are also stout inside the arc. The Wildcats should maintain their preferred pace, and it will result in St John's offensive onslaught to be drastically slowed down. Take the Cats and the points.
Final St. John's-Villanova Prediction & Pick: Villanova -7 (-110)
