Teams trending in opposite directions square off on Saturday when the top-ranked UConn Huskies battle the St. John's Red Storm in Big East Conference action at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Huskies (19-2, 9-1 Big East), who have won nine in a row, are coming off a 74-65 win over Providence on Wednesday. The Red Storm (13-8, 5-5 Big East), who have dropped four of five, fell 88-77 at Xavier on Wednesday. UConn won the first matchup of the season 69-65 on Dec. 23.
Tipoff is set for noon ET. The Red Storm lead the all-time series 37-32, including a 19-10 edge in games played at home. The Huskies are 4.5-point favorites in the latest UConn vs. St. John's odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 145.5. Before making any St. John's vs. UConn picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 13 of the 2023-24 season on a 120-78 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $2,000 for $100 players. It is also off to a sizzling 20-7 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UConn vs. St. John's and revealed its CBB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for St. John's vs. UConn:
- UConn vs. St. John's spread: UConn -4.5
- UConn vs. St. John's over/under: 145.5 points
- UConn vs. St. John's money line: UConn -197, St. John's +164
- UCONN: The Huskies have won 26 of their last 29 games (+22.10 units on ML)
- STJ: The Red Storm has hit the team total under in 18 of their last 31 games (+3.00 units)
- UConn vs. St. John's picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why UConn can cover
Senior guard Tristen Newton has been red hot of late, and is coming off a 16-point and 11-rebound performance in the win over Providence. He has reached double-digit scoring in each of his last four games, including a 25-point and six-rebound effort in a 66-65 win at Villanova on Jan. 20. He scored 22 points, grabbed four rebounds and added four assists in a 99-56 win over Xavier on Sunday. For the season, he is averaging 15.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.7 minutes.
Senior transfer guard Cam Spencer, who spent last season with Rutgers after three seasons at Loyola-Maryland, has started all 21 games he has played in. He scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the win over Providence on Wednesday. Spencer has scored 20 or more points four times, including a season-high 25 in an 87-53 win over Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 14. For the year, he is averaging 14.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 32.3 minutes. See which team to pick here.
Why St. John's can cover
Fifth-year senior center Joel Soriano, who is in his third year with the program after two years at Fordham, has been a dominant force. In 28.9 minutes of action per game, he is averaging 16.6 points, 10 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 assists. He scored 21 points, while grabbing 15 rebounds in Wednesday's loss at Xavier. He also had 21 points and nine rebounds in a 70-50 win over Villanova on Jan. 24.
Senior guard Daniss Jenkins, who spent last season at Iona, has also been hot of late. In the loss at Xavier on Wednesday, Jenkins poured in 25 points, while grabbing four rebounds and adding two assists. In an 84-79 win over Hofstra on Dec. 30, he nearly had a triple-double, scoring 21 points, while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing off eight assists. For the year, he is averaging 13.6 points, 5.6 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 30.5 minutes of play. See which team to pick here.
How to make St. John's vs. UConn picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 149 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits more than 60% of the time. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins UConn vs. St. John's, and which side of the spread hits more than 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 20-7 roll on its top-ranked college basketball spread picks, and find out.
