There's a lot of season left, but for the moment, the St. John's Red Storm has landed in an unexpected place, and the Johnnies will look to change that narrative when they meet the Creighton Bluejays.
That place? On the tournament bubble. St. John's has gone from a preseason top-10 team to unranked after a string of losses, but it comes in with some momentum following a double-digit win over fellow Big East opponent Butler.
Creighton enters in a similar spot, coming off a double-digit road win at Villanova. It should make for a fun game.
I break it all down in my St. John's vs. Creighton predictions and college basketball picks for Saturday, January 10.
St. John's vs Creighton prediction
St. John's vs Creighton best bet: St. John's moneyline (-105)
In typical Rick Pitino fashion, the St. John's Red Storm has been an early-season whirlwind, but this feels like a strong spot for the Johnnies in a game where both teams badly need a win.
St. John's checks a lot of boxes: more ways to manufacture points, more physicality, and a coaching advantage paired with a slight talent edge.
St. John's is elite on the offensive glass, and that identity shapes everything they do. Without a true table-setting point guard, the offense can skew toward second chances (it kinda has had to), but they've been excellent at turning misses into layups and free throws.
They're also dangerous when they run, scoring 1.26 points per transition possession. It's the Zuby Ejiofor and Dillon Mitchell formula: control the glass, then turn possessions into pressure at the rim.
That's a problem for a Creighton Bluejays team that hasn't consistently passed the physicality test, and it shows up in the foul battle, where St. John's gets to the line at nearly twice Creighton's rate.
Creighton's best path is pace and clean looks off movement. They're excellent in transition (1.38 PPP) and on perimeter cuts (1.23 PPP).
The issue is that St. John's is built to erase that second piece, holding opponents to 0.79 PPP on perimeter cuts. If the Red Storm can make Creighton play in the half-court, the advantage swings hard.
St. John's is more likely to win the ugly possessions, and that's usually the game that decides tight matchups. I'd play this to -2.
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St. John's vs Creighton same-game parlay
This one couldn't be much simpler, so there isn't much explaining to do. Zuby Ejiofor has carried an immense load for St. John's this season and has been on an especially strong run lately.
When the Johnnies are good, he's usually at the center of it, so tying his success to a St. John's win makes sense.
From a matchup perspective, the biggest story here is St. John's physicality edge. One of the cleanest ways that shows up is Ejiofor controlling the paint and putting up a big game.
St. John's vs Creighton SGP
- St. John's moneyline
- Zuby Ejiofor Over 15.5 points
- Zuby Ejiofor Over 9.5 rebounds
Our beyond the arc SGP: Slow Ride!
I threw in the Under for my longshot parlay.
In the half-court, St. John's' profile suggests they can take away one of Creighton's best sources of offense, which usually drags down efficiency and stretches possessions.
The pace may be quick at times because of live-ball turnovers, but I also expect plenty of physical half-court possessions, keeping the possession count in the low 70s.
St. John's vs Creighton SGP
- St. John's moneyline
- Zuby Ejiofor Over 15.5 points
- Zuby Ejiofor Over 9.5 rebounds
- Under 155.5
St. John's vs Creighton odds
- Spread: St. John's PK (-110) | Creighton PK (-110)
- Moneyline: St. John's -105 | Creighton -115
- Over/Under: Over 153 (-115) | Under 153 (-110)
St. John's vs Creighton betting trend to know
St. John's has hit the game total Under in 23 of their last 35 games (+9.80 Units / 25% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for St. John's vs. Creighton.
How to watch St. John's vs Creighton
| Location | CHI Health Center, Omaha, NE |
| Date | Saturday, January 10, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 2:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FS1 |
St. John's vs Creighton 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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