The UConn Huskies take on the St. John's Red Storm in New York, NY. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m. ET on FOX.
St. John's is favored by 4.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -192. The total is set at 138.5 points.
Here are my UConn vs. St. John's predictions and college basketball picks for February 23, 2025.
UConn vs St. John's Prediction
My Pick: UConn +4.5
My UConn vs St. John's best bet is on the Huskies spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
UConn vs St. John's Odds
| UConn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -115 | 138.5 -110 / -110 | +160 |
| St. John's Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -105 | 138.5 -110 / -110 | -192 |
- UConn vs St. John's spread: St. John's -4.5
- UConn vs St. John's over/under: 138.5 points
- UConn vs St. John's moneyline: St. John's -192, UConn +160
- UConn vs St. John's best bet: UConn +4.5
Spread
I'm taking the Huskies on the spread.
Moneyline
I have no play on the moneyline.
Over/Under
I have no play on the total.
My Pick: UConn +4.5
UConn vs St. John's College Basketball Betting Preview
UConn and St. John’s meet in Madison Square Garden for round two in a Big East battle with postseason consequences.
The Huskies are trying to climb up to third in the standings, improving their conference tourney draw – and, of course, a win at St. John’s would do wonders for their suddenly plummeting NCAA Tournament seed.
Dan Hurley’s squad has looked pedestrian recently, losing to lowly Seton Hall and nearly losing to Villanova at home.
St. John’s is close to wrapping up the Big East title, and a win here would pretty much seal it. Rick Pitino’s group is riding high behind the nation’s second-best defense.
The first meeting between these two went the Johnnies’ way, but UConn led by 14 in the early going. Star wing Liam McNeeley returned from a lengthy injury absence in that duel.
UConn kept St. John’s off the glass and actually won the board battle, but 22 turnovers cost it a huge victory.
Ball handling will be key in this game. The Red Storm perimeter is big, athletic and quick – if UConn turns it over 20+ times again, this contest won’t even be close.
Defending the glass again will also be key, as St. John’s relies heavily on the second chances to score. UConn did it in the first meeting and should be able to repeat that performance with its formidable frontline.
There’s much to like about UConn’s fantastic coaching staff in a second matchup – few staffs in the nation are as good at game planning (though Pitino’s crew is no slouch).
Intricate sets define UConn’s offense, as the Huskies use an array of screening and cutting to slice up their opponents and take advantage of mismatches. If they can handle the rock throughout entire possessions, they can break down this vaunted Johnnies defense.
Unfortunately, it’s still very tough to score inside the paint against the Red Storm, and their perimeter is so rangy.
The fact St. John’s won the first game despite losing the rebounding battle and shooting 4-of-21 from deep speaks volumes.
Pitino’s offense hasn’t been pretty this season – his team ranks 341st in 3-point attempt rate and 343rd in 3-point percentage, and he’s even said publicly his team has worked hard on mid-range shots to counter its lack of outside shooting.
Per CBB Analytics, St. John’s ranks 19th in mid-range field goal attempt rate and 68th in mid-range field goal percentage.
Theoretically, the Johnnies can beat UConn in the mid-range, but you can bet Hurley will shift his normal defense to force the Johnnies to be shooters again and pack the paint (as he did in the first game).
Transition is key for St. John’s on the offensive end, but UConn won the pace battle in the first game, and the Huskies are generally solid at defending in the open floor.
Ball screens are deployed often in Pitino’s half-court attack, and his squad attacks the hoop hard.
UConn has been average defending the pick-and-roll this year, but it does protect the rim at a high rate. The Huskies allowed just 16 free throw attempts in the first game, a low number for a typical St. John’s contest.
UConn is a tough team to beat by margin. The Huskies are extremely well-coached and are master game planners. Expect them to try to control tempo once again and pack the paint against the shooting-deficient Red Storm.
While St. John’s may emerge victorious, this game should be a battle the whole way. This should be one that ends within a couple of possessions.
