The No. 19 UConn Huskies host the No. 12 St. John’s Red Storm in a highly anticipated Big East showdown Friday night. St. John’s enters riding a nine-game winning streak, while UConn has regained its footing with back-to-back victories after dropping three of five.
Our St. John’s vs. UConn prediction sets up a battle of heavyweights. Will UConn defend its home court behind the emergence of guard Solo Ball, or can the RJ Luis Jr.-led Red Storm extend their streak to double digits on the road? Let’s break it down.
St. John’s vs. UConn Betting Preview
All St. John’s vs. UConn odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Friday, Feb. 7, 2025.
- Spread
UConn -2.5 - CSN Spread
UConn -9 - Moneyline
UConn -135, St John’s +114 - Over/Under
141.5 points - Game Time
Thursday, Feb. 6, 8 p.m. ET - Location
Gamble Pavilion | Storrs, CT - How To Watch
FOX
The Red Storm (20-3, 11-1 Big East) sit atop the conference standings and are 14-8-1 ATS, including a 7-4-1 mark in league play. As part of their nine-game win streak, they’ve covered six of their last eight.
Despite their offensive firepower, the under has been the play for St. John’s lately—five of their past six games have stayed below the total. The Red Storm have clamped down defensively, holding opponents to just 58.5 points per game in that span.
UConn (16-6, 8-3 Big East) sits in fourth place in the conference but has struggled against the spread, going 9-12-1 ATS and covering just three of 11 conference games. In their last five, they’ve only covered once.
Totals-wise, 12 of UConn’s 22 games have gone over, with seven of those in Big East play. Three of their last four games have exceeded 141.5 points—including all matchups against St. John’s this season.
St. John’s vs. UConn CSN Power Rankings Line
Our model favors UConn by nine points, largely due to its 10-1 home record. That’s 6.5 points off the market spread (-2.5), signaling an edge toward the Huskies, per our metrics.
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Prediction for St. John’s vs. UConn
St. John’s has been dominant in Big East play, with its only conference loss a one-point heartbreaker against Creighton. Their three losses this season? A combined margin of five points—but they’ve also benefited from a relatively soft schedule, with 18 opponents ranking in Quad 2-4 of the NET Rankings.
UConn, the defending back-to-back national champions, hasn’t quite met expectations this season. The Huskies are still ranked No. 19 but have already suffered six losses with nine regular-season games remaining.
That said, they’re fresh off an eight-point road win over No. 11 Marquette, a massive confidence boost heading into this matchup.
Sophomore guard Solo Ball has emerged as the go-to scorer for UConn, averaging 21.0 ppg in his last four outings, up from his season average of 15.0 ppg. A key contributor in the Huskies’ two championship runs, junior forward Alex Karaban is a steady presence on the perimeter despite enduring a rough shooting season. Center Tarris Reed Jr. holds it down in the paint, averaging 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
The Red Storm are led by 6’7″ junior guard RJ Luis Jr., who’s putting in 17.4 ppg and grabbing 6.8 rpg — he’s scored in double-digits in 22 of St. John’s 23 games, an extremely consistent scoring presence.
Fellow junior, forward Zuby Ejiofor is a bruiser down low, evidenced by his team-leading 8.3 rebounds to go along with 14.3 points per game. 6’6″ senior point guard Kadary Richmond has come into his own as of late; in addition to averaging nearly 5 rpg and 5 apg, he’s pouring in almost 19 ppg in his last four outings.
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UConn is riding momentum, but St. John’s is on a roll. Luis Jr. and Richmond form an elite backcourt, and their +114 moneyline presents solid value.
This won’t be a high-scoring, up-tempo game. UConn will battle to avoid a seventh loss, while St. John’s aims to extend its win streak behind its stifling defense (allowing just 58.5 PPG over its last six).
The under 141.5 is the smart play—expect both teams to land in the 60s, not the 70s.
Picks: St. John’s ML, Under 141.5 points
Prediction: St. John’s 69, UConn 63
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