Villanova vs St. John's Big East Tournament Picks and Predictions: Wildcats Pounce on Red Storm Mistakes

The St. John’s Red Storm scored 92 points in their first Big East Tournament win over DePaul. Those 92 points helped lead the Red Storm to a quarterfinal game against the Villanova Wildcats. 

Meanwhile, the Wildcats had a bye and will play their first game of the tournament against St. John’s. 

Will St. John’s play with momentum or is Villanova too good? Here are our college basketball picks and predictions for St. John’s vs. Villanova on Thursday, March 10. 

Villanova vs St. John's odds

This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.

The Villanova Wildcats opened as a 6-point favorite and haven’t moved since. However, the total has adjusted slightly from 149 at opening to 149.5 across the board. 

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until tip-off and be sure to check out the full college basketball odds before placing your bets.

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Villanova vs St. John's predictions

• Prediction: Villanova -6 (-110)
• Prediction: Over 149.5 (-110)
• Best bet: Villanova -6 (-110)

Predictions made on 3/10/2022 at 7:45 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Villanova vs DePaul/St. John's game info

• Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• Date: Thursday, March-10, 2022
• Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1

Villanova at DePaul/St. John's betting preview

Injuries

Villanova: Nnanna Nkoku F (Questionable).
St. John's: No injuries to report.

Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.

Betting trend to know

Red Storm are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 neutral-site games as an underdog. Find more NCAA betting trends for Villanova vs. St. John's.

Villanova vs St. John's picks and predictions

Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.

Spread analysis

The Villanova Wildcats have been one of the most consistent offenses in the nation this season. However, Villanova, unlike St. John’s, likes to get into half-court sets and won’t rush to get a shot off. 

Villanova is shooting 36.6% from deep and 50.7% from inside the arc. The Wildcats also shoot 82.5% from the foul line and likely will get to the charity stripe at a reasonable rate against the Red Storm. 

The Wildcats also won’t turn the ball over very often, giving the ball away just 15.5% of the time. Plus, Villanova earns 31.1% offensive rebounds. 

Defensively, St. John’s loves to earn steals, and that aggressive defense is why fouling can get a bit high for them. The Red Storm force 21.3% turnovers on the defensive end, but it’s not going to be easy against Villanova. The Red Storm also allows 31.1% offensive rebounds and will likely give up a large number to Villanova in this one. 

Meanwhile, St. John’s is the quickest team in the nation on the offensive end. The Red Storm uses just 14.5 seconds per possession this season while limiting turnovers to 15.9%. To be moving that quickly and not turn the ball over at a high rate is pretty sensational. 

However, the Wildcats are holding teams to 31.9% from three and 48% from inside the arc. Plus, Villanova will likely stay away from fouls and should keep St. John’s off the line by doing so.

I’ll take Villanova to weather the storm.

Prediction: Villanova - 6 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

Villanova might be a slow offense, but this team is incredibly efficient. The Wildcats are shooting an effective field goal percentage of 52.6% while being the best free-throw shooting team in the nation.

We already stated that Villanova will likely get to the line at a high rate, and we’ve also stated that St. John’s runs quick offense without committing turnovers. 

Plus, both teams are pretty electric on the offensive glass and can earn second chances. So, I’ll ride the Over here. 

Prediction: Over 149.5 (-110)

Best bet

The Villanova Wildcats aren’t going to win the NCAA Tournament, but this team certainly has a chance at winning the Big East Tournament. 

The Wildcats need to get better on the defensive end throughout the Big East to be considered a threat in the Big Dance. 

By keeping the Red Storm off the foul line and by defending the 3-point line well, Villanova should be able to win this game and cover the spread. 

The Wildcats have an elite offense and it’ll show tonight. 

Pick: Villanova -6 (-110)

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