The St. John’s Red Storm and Duke Blue Devils meet Friday in the college basketball NCAA Tournament at the Capital One Arena. Here’s a Duke vs. St. John’s Prediction. This article will include a Duke vs. St. John’s Pick.
St. John’s Red Storm Betting Preview
The St. John’s Red Storm beat Northern Iowa and Kansas. St. John’s has won 8 straight games.
The St. John’s Red Storm are averaging 81.6 points on 45.4 percent shooting and allowing 70 points on 42.1 percent shooting. Zuby Ejiofor is averaging 16.3 points and 7.3 rebounds, while Bryce Hopkins is averaging 13.6 points and 1.9 assists. Oziyah Sellers is the third double-digit scorer, and Ian Jackson is dishing 1.3 assists. The St. John’s Red Storm are shooting 33.2 percent from beyond the arc and 72.7 percent from the free throw line. The St. John’s Red Storm are allowing 31.3 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 34.7 rebounds per game.
Duke Blue Devils Betting Preview
The Duke Blue Devils beat Siena and TCU. Duke has won 13 straight games.
The Duke Blue Devils are averaging 82.9 points on 49.9 percent shooting and allowing 63.5 points on 39.3 percent shooting. Cameron Boozer is averaging 22.4 points and 10.3 rebounds, while Isaiah Evans is averaging 15 points and 3.3 rebounds. Patrick Ngongba II is the third double-digit scorer and Caleb Foster is grabbing 3.6 rebounds. The Duke Blue Devils are shooting 34.1 percent from beyond the arc and 71.6 percent from the free throw line. The Duke Blue Devils are allowing 31 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 37 rebounds per game.
Why the Duke Blue Devils will win
- Duke has won each of its last 17 March games as a top-10 AP-ranked team.
- St. John’s has lost three of its last four games as a top-15 AP-ranked team against a top-15 AP-ranked team.
- Duke has won the first half in each of its last 12 night games as a top-5 AP-ranked team against an AP-ranked team.
Why the St. John’s Red Storm will win
- St. John’s has won 26 of its last 27 night games.
- St. John’s has won the first half in each of its last 13 night games against non-Conference opponents.
Total Points: Facts
- Each of St. John’s last four games against Top 10 AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue has produced a total of 142+ points.
- Six of Duke’s last seven games against AP-ranked opponents have produced a total of 139 or fewer points.
Matchup/League Facts
- Duke ranks 1st among Division 1 teams for point differential per game this season (+18.9).
- Duke ranks 1st among Division 1 teams for defensive rating this season (94.9).
- St. John’s ranks T1st for bench points per game (23.0) among the remaining teams in this season’s NCAA Tournament.
- St. John’s has recorded more assists than turnovers in two games during this season’s NCAA Tournament—equal to the most of any team.
Duke vs St. John’s Prediction
Duke is the more talented team and should be favored, but it’s also a public team that’s going to spit out inflated lines. Duke has failed to cover 4 of its last 6 games and could’ve lost a few of these games as well. St. John’s is a scrappy bunch that can hold its own in the paint, defend, and get physical with the best of them. St. John’s isn’t going to be intimidated, and it’s not going to be bullied. Since getting smoked by UConn, St. John’s has turned things up a bit and plays with an edge. I’m going to grab the points with St. John’s, as this feels like a street fight for 40 minutes. I want points in my pocket.