There won’t be any questions about the strength of schedule for either the 15th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide or the fifth-ranked St. John’s Red Storm, who meet today at MSG in New York City.
It’s the first of many meaty matchups before either school moves into its conference schedule, with the books setting St. John’s as a 6-point favorite in the college baseball odds.
My Alabama vs St John’s predictions and free college basketball picks have plenty of points being rung up in this battle of offensively gifted programs on Saturday, November 8.
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Alabama vs St. John’s prediction
Alabama vs St. John’s best bet: Over 171.5 (-110)
The Alabama Crimson Tide opened their season with a 91-62 whipping of North Dakota, but that’s the only soft landing they’ll see in a while.
Starting with the St. John’s Red Storm, Alabama will face four straight ranked opponents, including No. 1 Purdue, No. 17 Illinois, and No. 21 Gonzaga.
The Crimson Tide were the SEC’s top scoring team a season ago, pouring in 90.7 points per game.
Sophomore guard Labaron Philon Jr. looked good in his first game stepping into Mark Sears' vacated shoes, potting 22 points and eight assists against North Dakota.
‘Bama was the top rebounding team in the SEC last year, and they’ve looked good in the small sample size, winning the rebound battle by +20 against North Dakota.
The Johnnies lit up Quinnipiac 108-74 in their opener for their highest offensive output since 2021.
The Red Storm were second in the Big East in scoring a season ago, and they look deep, with five players cracking double digits, led by Dillon Mitchell, while Zuby Ejiofor had 17, part of a blistering 60 paint points.
I don’t know if Alabama cleaned up its defensive woes from last year, as it was last in the SEC in scoring defense, allowing 81.3 points per game.
These teams love to get up and down: the Crimson Tide are third in KenPom’s adjusted tempo metric, with St John’s at 21.
Alabama vs St. John’s same-game parlay
Philon looked good in his debut, but the level-up in competition should be accounted for. That doesn’t mean Philon won’t be impactful, but I think his work as a playmaker takes precedence over his scoring today.
Ejiofor didn’t play a lot of ranked competition early on last year, but he was great against 13th-ranked Baylor, going for 22 points on 8-for-10 shooting.
He also had 33 against Marquette (ranked 25th) in the Big East Tourney and 18 against Creighton (ranked 24th).
Alabama vs St. John’s SGP
- Over 171.5
- Labaron Philon Jr. Under 14.5 points
- Zuby Ejiofor Over 17.5 points
Our beyond the arc SGP: Scoring surge
Houston Mallette went 2-for-4 from 3-point range in ‘Bama’s win over North Dakota. This was just his seventh game as a member of the Crimson Tide, and just the fourth time he’s attempted at least two 3-point attempts. Don't expect a new trend.
Dillon Mitchell has carried over his hot scoring from the end of last year, right into this season. He’s got a generous scoring line of 14.5 points, a number he topped in four of his last five games.
Alabama vs St. John’s SGP
- Over 171.5
- Labaron Philon Jr. Under 14.5 points
- Zuby Ejiofor Over 17.5 points
- Houston Mallette Under 1.5 threes
- Dillon Mitchell Over 14.5 points
Alabama vs St. John’s odds
- Spread: Alabama +5.5 (-110) | St. John’s -5.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Alabama +205 | St. John’s -250
- Over/Under: Over 171.5 (-110) | Under 171.5 (-110)
Alabama vs St. John’s betting trend to know
The Red Storm have won 12 straight at Madison Square Garden. Find more college basketball betting trends for Alabama vs. St. John’s.
How to watch Alabama vs St. John’s
| Location | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date | Saturday, November 8, 2025 |
| Tip-off | 12:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FS1 |
Alabama vs St. John’s key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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