A premier Big East matchup will take place on Sunday afternoon when the UConn Huskies face off against the No. 10 St. John’s Red Storm in Madison Square Garden.
The Red Storm will be looking to extend their 16-0 record at home, while UConn will be attempting to string together two straight wins for the first time this month. Who will come out on top?
Find out below as we make a prediction and break down the spread, total, and money line bets.
UConn vs. St. John’s Betting Preview
All UConn vs. St. John’s odds are from Fanduel Sportsbook and are correct as of Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025.
- Spread
St. John’s -4.5 - Moneyline
St. John’s -210, UConn +172 - Over/Under
138.5 points - Game Time
Sunday, Feb. 23, Noon ET - Location
Madison Square Garden | New York, N.Y. - How To Watch
FOX
UConn has a lowly 10-15-1 record ATS, including 4-11 ATS in conference play. Although they’re 5-4 on the road ATS, they’ve only covered three of their last 12 outings overall.
The Huskies average 77.8 ppg, but exactly half of their games have gone over the listed point total this season. Eight of 15 conference matchups have gone over — however, of their last four games, only once has the over been a successful bet.
The Red Storm have been much better than UConn in terms of covering, with a 16-10-1 overall record ATS. In conference, they’ve covered nine of 17 contests.
St. John’s has a terrific defense and that’s reflected in their over/under record this season, with only 12 of 27 games reaching the over. Half of their home games have gone over. The Red Storm defense has been even better lately, with five of their last seven outings going under.
UConn vs. St. John’s CSN Power Rankings Line
Preview for UConn vs. St. John’s
UConn’s two-time title defense season has been a relative disappointment to this point, with an 18-8 overall and 10-5 Big Ten record, which is good enough for fourth in the standings. They began the season ranked No. 3 in the country and have been unranked for the majority of the season.
St. John’s, which began the season unranked, has sprung to a 23-4 record, including 14-2 in conference, leaving them in first place. A No. 10 ranking in the country has followed, as they’ve won 11 of their last 12 games.
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The Red Storm are led by R.J. Luis Jr., who’s proven himself to be one of the best players in the conference. He’s averaging a team-high 17.6 ppg and 7.2 rpg. He missed their last game against DePaul, but there’s optimism that he can return against the Huskies.
If he’s not able to play, St. John’s has an excellent supporting cast behind him.
6’9″ junior forward Zuby Ejiofor is an absolute force down low, leading the team in rebounds with 8.1 rpg while also contributing 13.8 ppg. He’s been incredibly consistent, scoring in double figures in 18 of his last 19 games.
Former Seton Hall Pirate Kadary Richmond has been one of the highest impacting transfers in the country, averaging 12.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, and 5.1 apg on 49.7% shooting from the field. The 6’6″ point guard presents a matchup nightmare for Red Storm opponents.
UConn welcomed back their leading scorer this month, freshman forward Liam McNeely, after he suffered a high-ankle sprain. Since he’s come back, he’s scoring at a clip of 21.8 ppg, including a 38-point outburst against the No. 24 Creighton Bluejays.
Second-leading scorer Solo Ball has played heavy minutes all season on his way to averaging 14.7 ppg and 3.5 rpg. He’s nailed seven three-pointers in the last two games. Junior forward Alex Karaban, a staple of the Huskies’ championship teams, also adds 14.1 ppg.
This is the second meeting between these two teams; St. John’s pulled out a 68-62 victory on UConn’s home floor on Feb. 7. However, that was McNeely’s first game back from injury. He came off the bench and scored 18 points but only shot four of 15 from the field.
His emergence in recent weeks should provide the Huskies with a major boost, but it may not be enough to defeat the Red Storm at home.
Best Bets and Final Score Prediction
Their last meeting combined to score 130 points, which is lower than the total of 138.5 points that’s listed for this meeting. That was with four Red Storm starters scoring in double digits with only one Huskies starter doing so.
That makes for an interesting analysis; St. John’s only scored 68 points in that game with multiple players playing well, while UConn scored 62 with a down game for McNeely.
I’d be willing to bet that the Red Storm will play at that level or better on their home court, and the Huskies’ level will be elevated with a non-rusty leading scorer. Take the over of 138.5 points, although I don’t think they’ll blow by that number.
UConn has had trouble in terms of covering this season, especially in conference play. For that reason — and the Red Storm’s ability to cover at a high rate — St. John’s -4.5 is a good bet.
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That allows for a close game, which I expect, while also being able to factor in late-game free throws that could extend the St. John’s lead.
It will be competitive on Sunday afternoon, as many high-level Big East games are, but ultimately, Richmond and Luis Jr. — if available — will lead the way and push their record at home to 17-0.
Picks: Over 138.5 Points, St. John’s -4.5
Prediction: St. John’s 74, UConn 68
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