After winning the regular season conference championship outright, the No. 1 St. John’s Red Storm make their Big East Tournament debut today against the No. 9 seed Providence Friars.
Things got heated in the brawl-fest that was the February 14 meeting between these programs, setting the stage for an intense environment at Madison Square Garden.
The Red Storm will be out for blood, so I’m backing the home favorite with my Providence vs. St. John’s predictions and college basketball picks for Thursday, March 12.
Providence vs St. John’s prediction
Providence vs St. John’s best bet
Providence vs St. John’s best bet: St. John's -10.5 (-110)
The St. John’s Red Storm dominated the Big East, winning 16 of their last 17 games — going 11-6 ATS in that span — to wrap up the regular season crown.
Playing in the confines of their home arena, the Red Storm still have a job to do in the tournament. Rick Pitino won’t have his squad overlook the Providence Friars, which went 1-1 against them in the regular season and caused a full-on melee, replete with six ejections, less than a month ago.
Pitino has a storied March career, and he is 6-1 ATS in postseason games during his stint with the Red Storm.
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Providence vs St. John’s same-game parlay
Both meetings in the regular season resulted in an Under, and it wasn’t particularly close, with an average margin of 19 points.
St. John’s has a dominant defense, ranking third in adjusted efficiency in its last 10 games. The issue that could arise later in the postseason is on the other side of the ball, as the Red Storm rank 341st in effective field goal percentage in that span.
Star big man Zuby Ejiofor is the go-to man for offense and averages 23.5 points in the regular season against Providence.
Providence vs St. John’s SGP
- St. John's -10.5
- Under 158.5
- Zuby Ejiofor Over 17.5 points
Our beyond the arc SGP: Zuby Soho
Zuby dominates per usual while Dillon Mitchell (4.9 assists in his last seven games) continues thriving in his newfound facilitator role.
Providence vs St. John’s SGP
- St. John's -6.5 in 1st half
- Zuby Ejiofor Over 17.5 points
- Zuby Ejiofor Over 7.5 rebounds
- Dillon Mitchell Over 3.5 assists
Providence vs St. John’s odds
- Spread: Providence +11.5 (-110) | St. John’s -11.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Providence +475 | St. John’s -650
- Over/Under: Over 158.5 (-110) | Under 158.5 (-110)
Providence vs St. John’s betting trend to know
St. John’s is 6-1 ATS in postseason games during the Rick Pitino era. Find more college basketball betting trends for Providence vs. St. John’s.
How to watch Providence vs St. John’s
| Location | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date | Thursday, March 12, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 12:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Peacock |
Providence 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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