The St. John’s Red Storm (14-1, 2-1 Big East) put their 12-game winning streak on the line when they meet the Villanova Wildcats (11-4, 2-0 Big East) at Finneran Pavilion. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 8, 2019.
St. John’s Red Storm at Villanova Wildcats ATS Prediction
In the Red Storm’s last outing, they blew out the Loyola Maryland Greyhounds, 76-55. The Red Storm had a much better turnover percentage (20.1 vs. 29.2) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.500 vs. 0.375). With 20 points on 9-for-15 shooting, Shamorie Ponds was the game’s leading scorer.
The Wildcats easily got past the Morgan State Bears in their last game, 100-77. The Wildcats had a much better free throw rate (0.299 vs. 0.085) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (44.4 vs. 25.6). Eric Paschall was the game’s high scorer with 26 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field.
This has potential to be an error-filled game for the offense of Villanova. Villanova ranks 176th in the country in ball protection (turnover percentage of 19.0 percent), while the pesky defense of St. John’s forces the 63rd-most turnovers in the nation (22.2 percent). Contrasting styles will be on display in this contest. The up-and-down Red Storm rank 56th in possessions per game, while the more methodical Wildcats rank 324th.
After splitting two games last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Red Storm won the last matchup 79-75. St. John’s’ free throw rate was their largest advantage over Villanova. The Red Storm had a rate of 0.345, while the Wildcats posted a mark of 0.164.
St. John’s Red Storm vs. Villanova Wildcats Odds Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Villanova, ATS Winner – Villanova, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Villanova ranks 18th in three pointers attempted per game (28.6) while St. John’s ranks 200th in three pointers allowed per game (24.8).
The Red Storm rank 11th in steals per game (9.5) while the Wildcats rank 157th (5.7).
Villanova ranks 43rd in rebounds allowed per game (32.0) while St. John’s ranks 188th (36.9).
The Red Storm rank 37th in assists per game (16.3) while the Wildcats rank 136th (13.5).
St. John’s is 20th in the NCAA with 2.3 blocks allowed per game while Villanova is 31st with 2.5 blocks allowed per game.
Bettings Trends:
The Red Storm’s average margin of victory in their last five games has been 9.6, down from 12.9 for the season.
During their last five games, the Wildcats have scored an average of 76.6 points per game (2.3 above their season average) and allowed an average of 67.0 points per game (1.3 above their season average).
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