It's a Big East matchup when the Xavier Musketeers travel to New York to take on the St John's Red Storm. It is time to continue our college basketball odds series with a Xavier-St John's prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

Xavier went through a rough patch at the start of December, losing three straight games, with two coming as double-digit favorites. They righted the ship, winning two consecutive games against Cincinnati and Winthrop. Xavier's slow start wasn't expected, as Sean Miller turned Xavier into one of the top teams in the Big East. He led Xavier to a second-place league finish and a trip to the Sweet 16 last season. It may be a bit of a hangover from last season, but Miller will need to get his team ready as the Big East schedule begins. Miller has past success with Xavier,  bringing them to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and 2009 before leaving to coach Arizona.

Rick Pitino is one of the greatest coaches of all time. He won national championships with Kentucky and Louisville and took five schools to the NCAA tournament. This may be one of his most difficult jobs yet, as St John's hasn't won an NCAA Tournament game since 2000. It's been a good start, leading St John's to a 6-3 record, but the hard work starts now in the Big East. St John's was eighth in the Big East last season, but Butler and Georgetown have improved and threaten to pass them off. The Red Storm had an 11-2 non-conference record last season but struggled to a 7-13 record in the Big East.

Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Basketball Odds: Xavier-St John's Odds

Xavier: +5.5 (-105) ML (+195)

St John's: -5.5 (-115) ML (-240)

Over: 157.5 (-110)

Under: 157.5 (-110)

How to Watch Xavier vs. St John's 

Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT

TV: Fox Sports 1

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why Xavier Will Cover The Spread

Xavier has been looking better after the bad losses to Oakland and Delaware in the middle of their non-conference schedule. Xavier is trying to put the pieces together after losing their top four scorers from last season. Head coach Sean Miller hoped they would right the ship before the Big East schedule, but it's unclear whether that is the case. Quincy Olivari is their best pickup in the transfer portal, averaging 17.6 points per game. He is a sharpshooter, hitting 44.6% from three-point range. Their other top scorer is Desmond Claude, averaging 15.5 points per game, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists.

Xavier's KenPom rankings show they might be better than their record would suggest. They are 30th in defensive efficiency and 68th in offensive. They also have the 58th fastest tempo in the nation.

Why St John's Will Cover The Spread

It's hard to bet against Rick Pitino in his return to the Big East. He has been a Big East regular season champion twice and conference tournament champion three times. St John's has won five of their last six games, with their only loss coming in a terrible defensive performance against Boston College. “I told the guys, ‘If you're going to rely on your offense, you're going to finish dead last in the Big East,'” Pitino said after the team's 86-80 loss. Allowing 86 points was an anomaly as of late for the Red Storm, as their other games in the last five have seen them give up 55, 50, 73, and 45 points. Xavier's offense will be a test, but St. John's can be up to the task.

Final Xavier-St John's Prediction & Pick

Expect a defensive matchup in this game. Rick Pitino emphasized defense after their game against Boston College, telling the team they wouldn't win the Big East using just offense. They answered by allowing Fordham to score 55 points in the following game. The point of Pitino's message was winning the Big East, so the effort against Fordham won't be enough for the legendary coach. He will want to see them bear down against Xavier and make a statement on their home floor. Xavier is also an above-average defensive team. They rank 30th in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. St. John's has been scoring at a high rate, but the Musketeers will be one of the best defenses they have seen thus far.

The number opened for St John's at -3 but has climbed to -5.5. Many people don't believe in Xavier after their losses to Oakland and Delaware. There is also a belief in Rick Pitino amongst the betting community that will bet the number up. However, Xavier's metrics make them one of the top teams in the nation for efficiency. They are a better team than their record would suggest, and you can rely on defensive battles to stay close. If Pitino and Miller both opt to slow the game down and shut down the offenses, expect it to come down to a last-minute shot and stay within the +5.5.

Final Xavier-St John's Prediction & Pick: Under 157.5 and Xavier +5.5 (-105)