The St. John's Red Storm are favored by more than 30 points over the Bucknell Bison, who have lost three straight against a very soft schedule.
The Red Storm lost by seven to current No. 11 Alabama, but have looked strong in wins over a pair of cupcake foes. They close out their four-game season-opening homestand before heading to Las Vegas for a Thanksgiving week tournament.
My Bucknell vs. St. John’s predictions and college basketball picks look for a St. John’s cover on Thursday, November 20.
Bucknell vs St. John's prediction
Bucknell vs St. John's best bet: St. John's -30.5 (-110)
Since Rick Pitino took over, the St. John’s Red Storm have taken care of business against teams they should beat. In their two wins, the Red Storm covered a 28.5-point line over William & Mary and a 26.5-point line against Quinnipiac. The Red Storm are 16-0 at their home arena under Pitino and have an average victory margin of 23.8 points - 26.1 in non-conference play.
If the early results are any indication, it’s shaping up to be a long season for the Bucknell Bison.
The Bison have struggled against a schedule that looks designed to give them a fast start. Pitt hammered Bucknell by 34 in a game where the spread was 15.5. That was the only opponent the Bison have had that’s ranked higher than 200 in the BartTorvik ratings. Hofstra, Delaware, Mount St. Mary’s, and Princeton are a combined 6-13 this season.
And yet, the Bison have lost three straight and sit at 2-3 on the year.
Bucknell has not beaten a ranked opponent since November 2005 and hasn’t won against a power conference foe since 2017. It's a terrible shooting team, hitting just 45% of its 2-point shots, which ranks 306th in the nation. The Bison struggle on the boards, ranking 270th in offensive rebounding rate, and their perimeter defense is 264th.
St. John’s big man Zuby Ejiofor led the nation in offensive rebounding last season and hits two-thirds of his shots from the field, which will be a matchup problem for Bucknell. St. John’s has five other players averaging double-digit scoring so far this season.
Bucknell hung in against Pitt for most of the first half before the Panthers went on a huge run. St. John’s used huge runs to break open their two wins. Look for a streak like that to put this game out of reach as the Red Storm covers.
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Bucknell vs St. John's same-game parlay
St. John’s has gone Over in two of its three games, and the cutoff has been in the 170s in the last two, 15-20 points higher than this game.
The Red Storm have scored in the 90s in all three of their games, so look for their deep group of scorers to push this game to the Over, even if Bucknell doesn’t do much on offense to help.
Ejiofor should eat against a Bucknell team that doesn’t appear to have anyone who can guard him. Of all his props, the assists have the best odds. He’s had three or more in every game this season.
Bucknell vs St. John's SGP
- St. John's -30.5
- Over 159.5
- Zuby Ejiofor Over 2.5 assists
Our beyond the arc SGP: Plenty yet to prove
It’s still early enough in the season that players trust that their offseason work will translate into games, and that often means 3-point attempts for guys who aren’t known for them. Bryce Hopkins entered the season 47-of-156, 30.1% from three in 78 career games, but he’s been putting them up this year.
He’s tried seven in the last two games, and, given Bucknell’s leaky perimeter defense, he’ll likely find himself open a few times. That vaunted volume will only increase his exposure to scoring. The Over 0.5 made threes is also a worthy leg instead.
Bucknell vs St. John's SGP
- St. John's -30.5
- Over 159.5
- Zuby Ejiofor Over 2.5 assists
- Bryce Hopkins Over 12.5 points
Bucknell vs St. John's odds
- Spread: Bucknell +30.5 (-110) | St. John's -30.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Bucknell N/A | St. John's N/A
- Over/Under: Over 159.5 (-110) | Under 159.5 (-110)
Bucknell vs St. John's betting trend to know
St. John's has covered the Spread in 20 of its last 35 games. Find more college basketball betting trends for Bucknell vs. St. John's.
How to watch Bucknell vs St. John's
| Location | Carnesecca Arena, Queens, NY |
| Date | Thursday, November 20, 2025 |
| Tip-off | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | TNT |
Bucknell 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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