St. John’s vs UConn Prediction 2/23/25 College Basketball Picks Today
UConn (18-8) vs. St. John's (23-4)
February 23, 2025 12:00 pm EDT
The Line: St. John's -4.5; Over/Under: 138.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The UConn Huskies and the St. John’s Red Storm meet Sunday in college basketball action from Madison Square Garden. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a UConn vs. St. John’s prediction.
Matchup History
St. John’s won the first meeting this season at UConn by a final score of 68-62 on February 7th, 2025. The win for the Johnnies snapped a four-game win streak by UConn in this head-to-head matchup.
UConn Recap
The UConn Huskies come into this game looking to add on to a 66-59 win over Villanova last time out to improve to 18-8 on the year. After this game, UConn will head home for a game against the Georgetown Hoyas.
Huskies Looking For Some Consistency After Alternating Wins & Losses In 5 Straight
Liam McNeeley has 15.4 PPG and 6.6 RPG along with 2.3 APG in 18 games played so far this season while Solo Ball has added 14.7 PPG with 3.5 RPG. Alex Karaban’s added 14.1 PPG with 5 RPG and 3 APG to cap off the scoring in double figures for UConn up to this point in the year. Tarris Reed Jr. has 9.2 PPG with 6.9 RPG to lead the Huskies on the glass so far this season. Hassan Diarra has 8.2 PPG with 3.3 RPG and a team-high 5.8 APG to lead the Huskies in assists. Samson Johnson also has 7.4 PPG with 3.1 RPG as well on the year. As a team, UConn is averaging 77.8 PPG on 48% shooting from the field, 35.3% from three and 78% from the foul line this season.
Why the Connecticut Huskies will win
- Connecticut has won each of its last nine games against Top 10 AP-ranked opponents.
St. John’s Recap
The St. John’s Red Storm will be out to add on to their 82-58 win over Depaul in their last game to improve to 23-4 on the year. After this game, St. John’s will head on the road for a matchup with the Butler Bulldogs.
Red Storm Looking To Take Another Step Towards Big East Title
RJ Luis Jr. leads the Red Storm in scoring with 17.6 PPG and 7.2 RPG along with 2.4 APG while Zuby Ejiofor has 13.9 PPG with a team-high 8.1 RPG. Kadary Richmond has 12.7 PPG with 5.9 RPG and a team-high 5.1 APG to lead St. John’s in assists and to cap off the group of double-digit scorers for St. John’s so far this season. Deivon Smith has 9.8 PPG with 5 RPG and 4.1 APG, and Simeon Wilcher has 8.7 PPG while Aaron Scott has 8.6 PPG with 4.1 RPG. As a team, St. John’s is averaging 78.3 PPG on 44.7% shooting from the field, 29.8% from three and 68.4% from the foul line this season.
Why the St. John’s Red Storm will win
- St. John’s has won each of its last 15 home games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Connecticut has lost 21 of its last 24 day games against AP-ranked opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Eleven of St. John’s’ last 12 day games against Conference opponents at Madison Square Garden have produced a total of 139+ points.
- Each of Connecticut’s last seven Sunday games against the Big East Conference have produced a total of 142+ points.
UConn vs. St. John’s Prediction
I’m on St. John’s here. I don’t think MSG is a home court edge for the Johnnies here given the immense amount of historical success UConn has had in this venue. However, I still think we have to admit and take consideration that this UConn team is not the same UConn team of the past and that there’s a lot that should be red flags for the Huskies going into the tournament time. I didn’t like how UConn looked against Villanova and there’s a strong argument to be made that UConn should’ve lost that game. I still think St. John’s is the beast of the Big East and I think the Johnnies get the win and cover at MSG here. Give me St. John’s.
