The No. 1 Villanova Wildcats (15-1, 3-1 Big East) travel to St. John’s to take on the Red Storm (10-7, 0-5 Big East) in a matchup that pits sensational offense against exceptional defense. The game gets underway at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 13, 2018.
Villanova opened as a 13.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 155 points.
Villanova Wildcats at St. John’s Red Storm Free Prediction
In the Wildcats’ last matchup, they blew out the No. 10 Xavier Musketeers, 89-65. Villanova’s turnover percentage was their biggest advantage over Xavier. The Wildcats had a rate of 10.8 (better than their season average of 12.6), while the Musketeers posted a mark of 18.3. With 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting, Phil Booth was the game’s leading scorer.
The Red Storm lost a close one to the Georgetown Hoyas in their last game, 69-66. Georgetown’s rebounding was their largest strength. The Hoyas had more offensive rebounds (19 vs. 10), defensive rebounds (30 vs. 24) and total rebounds (49 vs. 34). Shamorie Ponds had a good performance for St. John’s, leading the team in scoring with 17 points on 5-for-15 shooting.
St. John’s might struggle to put up points as they clash against one of the nation’s best defenses. Villanova currently ranks 83rd in defensive efficiency, while the Red Storm rank 237th in offensive efficiency. Additionally, the Wildcats rank fourth in turnover percentage (14.2 percent), while the Red Storm rank fourth in opponents’ turnover percentage (25.4 percent).
Villanova comes into the game with records of 15-1 straight up (SU) and 11-5 against the spread (ATS). Vegas is known to place the total low when the Wildcats are involved, as 10 of their 15 games have ended over the projected point total.
Meanwhile, St. John’s is 10-7 SU and 6-8-1 ATS. Contrary to Villanova, Red Storm games tend to finish under the total (61.5 percent).
Marvin Clark Jr. has averaged 13.4 points over the last five games for St. John’s.
After the Wildcats won all three games against the Red Storm last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the most recent contest, Villanova won 108-67. The Wildcats made 21 of their 25 free throws (84.0 percent) and had a much better turnover percentage (9.3 vs. 18.7).
Villanova Wildcats vs. St. John’s Red Storm Free Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Villanova, ATS Winner – Villanova, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Villanova is 8-2 ATS on the road with 7 overs and 3 unders.
St. John’s is 3-3-1 ATS at home with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Villanova ranks 71st in rebounds allowed per game (33.1) while St. John’s ranks 255th (40.3).
The Wildcats average 26.8 three pointers per game, which ranks 31st in the nation. The Red Storm rank 198th in three pointers allowed per game (24.0).
Villanova ranks 21st in assists per game (17.4) while St. John’s ranks 171st (12.8).
Both of these teams are great at blocking the ball. The Red Storm are fifth in the nation with 6.5 blocks per game while the Wildcats are 52nd with 4.4 blocks per game.
St. John’s ranks 10th in steals per game (9.2) while Villanova ranks 53rd (7.4).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Villanova is 3-2 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
St. John’s is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Wildcats’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 13.6, down from 19.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Red Storm have scored an average of 70.6 points per game (2.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 81.4 points per game (13.1 above their season average).
