The top seed in the Big East Conference Tournament hits the court as St. John’s faces Butler. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Butler-St. John’s prediction and pick.
Butler was 14-18 in the regular season, and 6-14 in conference play, which gave them the nine-seed in the Big East Tournament. They opened with a first round matchup against Providence. Butler would take the early lead in the game, and would lead by eight points at the end of the first half. They would not trail in the game, going on to win the game 75-69
Meanwhile, St. John’s was 27-4 this year, and 18-2 in conference play. That earned them the top spot in the Big East Tournament. They opened the year 4-0 before losing two of their next three. From there, they would win six straight before a loss to Creighton. They would then win the next ten until a two-point loss to Villanova. Since then, they have won six straight games. In their last game, St. John’s faced Marquette. It would be a tight game throughout, with St. John’s holding just a one point lead at the half. Marquette would tie the game and force overtime though. Marquette led in overtime, but St. John’s hit a buzzer-beating shot to win the game 86-84.
Butler lost both match-ups with St. John’s this year, falling by eight on the road and then by six at home. The winner of this game will face the winner of Marquette and Xavier.
Here are the Butler-St. John’s College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
Big East Tournament Odds: Butler-St. John’s Odds
Butler: +12.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +610
St. John’s: -12.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -950
Over: 145.5 (-115)
Under: 145.5 (-105)
How to Watch Butler vs. St. John’s
Time: 12:00 PM ET/ 9:00 AM PT
TV: Peacock
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Butler Will Cover The Spread/Win
Butler is ranked 76th in the nation in KenPom’s current rankings. they are 43rd in adjusted offensive efficiency while sitting 146th in adjusted defensive efficiency. Butler has been better on the offensive end of the court this year. They are 130th in the nation in points per game while sitting 63rd in the nation in shooting efficiency this year. Further, Butler gets to the line well, sitting 75th in the nation in free throw attempts per game this year.
Jahmyl Teflord leads the way for Butler, leading the team in scoring and assists this year. He is scoring 16.2 points per game this year while adding 3.5 assists per game. He also adds 4.8 rebounds per game this year. Meanwhile, Pierre Brooks is scoring 15.2 points per game while adding five rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
Andre Screen leads the way in rebounds. He comes into the game with 6.1 rebounds per game, while also adding 8.2 points, 1.1 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game this year.
Why St. John’s Will Cover The Spread/Win
St. John’s is ranked 15th in KenPom’s current rankings. They are 66th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency while sitting third in adjusted defensive efficiency this year. St. John’s has been great on the defense this year. They are 28th in the nation in opponent points per game while sitting 11th in opponent shooting efficiency. St. John’s has been dominant down low. First, they are ninth in the nation against the two. They are also ninth in the nation in blocks per game and fourth in rebounds per game this year.
St. John’s has been led by RJ Luis Jr., who leads the team in scoring. He comes into the game with 18.1 points per game while having 7.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Kadary Richmond joins Luis in the backcourt and leads the team in assists and steals.. He comes in with 5.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game, while also adding 12.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
In the frontcourt, Zuby Ejiofor leads the team in both rebounds and blocks this year. Ejiofor comes in with 14.1 points per game while adding 1.5 blocks per game. He is also scoring 14.1 points with 1.5 assits per game this year.
Final Butler-St. John’s Prediction & Pick
This will be a battle of strength against strength. Butler is 63rd in the nation in shooting efficiency, while St. John’s is 11th in the nation in opponent shooting efficiency this year. Still, Butler may have an edge with their defense. They are 220th in opponent points per game, but they are 79th in opponent shooting efficiency this year. Meanwhile, St. John’s is 51st in the nation in points per game but are 264th in shooting efficiency. Further, Butler could have an edge on the glass. They are 109th in the nation in defensive rebounding percentage while St. John’s is 125th. St. John’s should get the win, but Butler will cover.
Final Butler-St. John’s Prediction & Pick: Butler+12.5 (-110)
The post Butler vs. St. John’s prediction, odds, pick for Big East Tournament appeared first on ClutchPoints.
