The St. John's Red Storm take on the Connecticut Huskies in Storrs, CT. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
UConn is favored by 2 points on the spread with a moneyline of -135. The total is set at 140.5 points.
Here are my St. John's vs. UConn predictions and college basketball picks for February 7, 2025.
St. John's vs UConn Prediction
My Pick: UConn -1.5 (Play to -3)
My St. John's vs UConn best bet is on the Huskies spread, with the best odds currently available at BetMGM. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
St. John's vs UConn Odds
| St. John's Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2 -110 | 140.5 -110 / -110 | +114 |
| UConn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2 -110 | 140.5 -110 / -110 | -135 |
- St. John's vs UConn spread: -UConn -2
- St. John's vs UConn over/under: 140.5 points
- St. John's vs UConn moneyline: UConn -135, St. John's -114
- St. John's vs UConn best bet: UConn -1.5 (Play to -3)
Spread
I like UConn up to -3.
Moneyline
If the number drops to around -125, then take UConn.
Over/Under
I have no play on the total.
My Pick: UConn -1.5 (Play to -3)
St. John's vs UConn College Basketball Betting Preview
St. John's still has just one Big East loss, with Tuesday's win over Marquette giving it an 11-1 record.
The Red Storm are a very interesting team, as they can't shoot the ball from 3. That wasn't a real surprise given the roster makeup. Also, Brady Dunlap is out for the year.
Coming into this contest, St. John's sits at a ghastly 29% from 3 and shoots triples just 30% of the time. The entire starting lineup hits below 30% from deep, but it hasn't mattered yet.
How has St. John's managed to overcome such poor shooting numbers? Defense. The Red Storm rank fourth in KenPom's defensive efficiency, with an elite 21% turnover rate. They also hold opponents to 43% shooting from 2.
They have imposing length, as four of their five starters stand 6-foot-6 or taller. It's very difficult for teams to match up with the Johnnies' length and defensive switchability.
Remember when Kadary Richmond looked like a shell of himself? Well, that's a thing of the past. The 6-foot-6 guard has scored 18+ points with five-plus assists and six-plus rebounds in three of the past four games.
He's returned to stuffing the stat sheet, and I think Deivon Smith coming off the bench helps enhance Richmond's production.
Does the spot line up for St. John's to secure a road win in Storrs? I'll say no.
In fact, I like the Huskies a lot here. The Red Storm won't run the table for the rest of the year, which is asking a ton. Plus, playing UConn on the road is never easy, even with it having a down year by its standards.
The news gets even better for the home Huskies, as freshman forward Liam McNeeley is returning. He missed the past eight games and will add another dependable shooter to a team with ample offensive weapons.
The bread and butter for the Huskies is on the offensive end, as they rank 10th in offensive efficiency. They already carved up Marquette's dominant defense for 1.18 PPP last week and will look to do the same versus the Big East leaders.
Solo Ball and Alex Karaban will finally have help from a third option in McNeeley. Those are the lone double-digit scorers on the Huskies' roster, as Ball and Karaban both averaged 15 points per game.
Ball is the X-factor, though. He's developed into a stone-cold sniper. The sophomore southpaw scored 25 points with seven triples versus Marquette.
I like how UConn matches up versus the defensive pressure St. John's will toss at it. Hassan Diarra is the ideal point guard to navigate the game and limit turnovers. He provides stability, with six assists compared to two turnovers per contest.
Additionally, UConn ranks 112th in defensive efficiency, which is just jarring considering its dominance over the last two years. The Huskies' defense has gotten shredded by shooters, allowing opponents to shoot 36% from downtown.
Maybe some regression will come since the number is so robust. But they've allowed some really good looks from deep, so I won't hold out hope for them improving there.
However, I feel alright about the Huskies' defense here since the interior is pretty strong. UConn's bigs — Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed Jr. — should be fine defending Zuby Ejiofor. Plus, UConn holds opponents to 45% shooting from inside the arc.
The issue comes from defending the perimeter, but we established St. John's can't shoot.
St. John's has just one win over a team in the projected NCAA Tournament field, and it didn't come on the road. I think facing a hungry UConn team in Storrs is a grueling spot for the surging Red Storm.
