A budding rivalry in the Big East takes center stage Saturday at Madison Square Garden when the top-ranked UConn Huskies battle the St John’s Red Storm.
The Huskies are seeking a 10th straight win — all against conference foes — and they’ve taken four of the last five against the Johnnies.
The Red Storm have struggled of late, with one win in the last five games, and they’re 3-point home dogs in the college basketball odds.
Read below as we break down this conference battle, offering UConn vs. St John’s free college basketball picks for Saturday, February 3.
UConn vs St. John’s best odds
UConn vs St. John’s picks and predictions
The Huskies’ fun run started against these same Storm in a 69-65 win in Hartford on December 23.
It was a bucket struggle all game, with St John’s shooting a dismal 38.5% from the field, while converting just 4-for-18 from 3-point range.
UConn’s offense, which is tied with Butler for tops in scoring in the Big East at 81.6 points per game, was also stymied for much of the night.
A team that currently ranks third in KenPom’s offensive efficiency metric could only muster 42.9% shooting, a distant swing from its usual 49.4% clip, which ranks 12th in college hoops.
The Huskies only shot slightly better from distance, connecting on five of 18 attempts, a 27.8% rate.
UConn was even worse last game in a 74-65 win over Providence, though, going just 4-for-23 from beyond the arc.
This was the polar opposite from the previous win over Xavier, when the Huskies drilled 17 triples, trying a school record.
Could this be a problem again Saturday against the Red Storm, who limit teams to 41.7% shooting from the field and a 30.8% average from 3-point range? Both are figures inside the Top 90.
St John’s is a Top-5 scoring team in the Big East at 77.2 points per contest, coming off an 88-77 loss to Xavier last time out.
They’ll be going against the conference’s top defensive team, as the Huskies allow just 64.2 points per game.
UConn has won the last two matchups, but the Red Storm have been the bet against the spread in this head-to-head.
St John’s has covered six times in the last seven meetings, all seven of those with UConn pegged as favorites, and three of them better than double-digits. The most recent of those was their December game, with SJU given +11 odds.
While UConn has been streaking, five of their last nine wins have been single-digit decisions. I’m banking on this one staying close Saturday.
My best bet: St John’s +3 (-110 at DraftKings)
UConn vs St. John’s same-game parlay
St John’s +3
Tristan Newton Under 16.5 points
Stephon Castle Over 0.5 3-pointers
It’s starting to look like recent back-to-back 20+ point efforts by Tristan Newton against Xavier (Jan 28) and Villanova (Jan 20) are the outlier across the last two months.
His line against Providence last game is more where the senior has been delivering, scoring 16 points, while adding 11 rebounds and three dimes.
In the last 13 games, Newton has only crossed his Saturday 16.5-point line three times.
Newton was key to pulling out the win against St John’s, but he did only finish with 15 points on 4-for-14 shooting. Dating back to last season, he’s played three games against the Red Storm, and is averaging only 7.7 points, falling Under the total every time.
He’ll be prominent against St John’s, but I expect him to fall short Saturday.
We’ll finish this SGP with an easy sprinkle.
UConn freshman guard Stephon Castle is one of five Huskies to average double digits this season, and he’s showing some range of late.
Against Providence, Castle went 2-for-4 from beyond the arc, making it five straight games he’s drilled at least one 3-pointer.
That’s quite a turnaround for a guy who had zero makes in eight of the previous nine games before getting it cooking.
With the line set at 0.5, it’s too good to pass up.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Best college basketball bonuses
New Users
33% BOOST for one CBB bet
e.g. -110 BOOSTS to +121! Claim Now
All Users
50% BOOST for any Duke-UNC bet on 2/3
e.g. -110 BOOSTS to +135! Claim Now
All Users
Instant payout for CBB moneylines
If your team goes up by 18! Claim Now
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
UConn vs St. John’s spread and Over/Under analysis
The spread has been as wide as 5.5 points, and as thin as 2.5, with most books settling in at the 3.5-point mark.
UConn has gone 12-9-0 against the spread this season, while the Johnnies are 11-10-0. The Huskies have covered just twice in the last 10 games against St John’s.
As for the total, the largest line has hit 146.5, and you can find juice with the line falling by as many as two points to 144.5.
Both teams have winning Over records, with SJU going 11-10-0, and UConn 11-9-1.
UConn vs St. John’s betting trend to know
The Over has hit in seven of the last 10 head-to-heads. Find more college basketball betting trends for UConn vs. St. John’s.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Covers may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook or betting site.
UConn vs St. John’s game info
| Location: | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date: | Saturday, February 3, 2024 |
| Tip-off: | 12:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | FOX |
UConn vs St. John’s key injuries
Stay updated with the latest picks, odds, and news! Tap the 
to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
