The Seton Hall Pirates (14-4, 4-3 Big East) and No. 25 St. John’s Red Storm (13-5, 6-1) collide in Tuesday Big East action in New York, New York. The contest at Madison Square Garden will tip off at 7 p.m. ET (FS1). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NCAA basketball odds around the Seton Hall vs. St. John’s odds and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions for the best bets.
Seton Hall lost twice last week with both games in Newark. The Pirates lost 69-64 to the No. 4 UConn Huskies Tuesday, and then to Butler Saturday. The Saturday loss was SHU’s first as a favorite of 6-plus points since Nov. 30, 2024. The -6.5 Pirates fell to Butler 77-66 (Under 144.5). For the Big East’s second-best defense (63.8 defensive scoring average), Butler’s output marked the most points the Pirates had allowed in a game since Nov. 25.
St. John’s, which swept 2 games from SHU last season, also played its most recent game Saturday. The Red Storm won their fourth in a row, delivering an 86-79 (Over 147.5) victory at the +2.5 Villanova Wildcats. The Red Storm have shot 51.7% from the floor during their win streak.
– Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Watch NCAA basketball on Fubo!
Seton Hall at St. John’s odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 11:41 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Seton Hall +350 (bet $100 to win $350) | St. John’s -475 (bet $475 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Seton Hall +9.5 (-110) | St. John’s -9.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 144.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Seton Hall at St. John’s picks and predictions
Prediction
St. John’s 79, Seton Hall 67
No interest; PASS.
St. John’s is 2-1 ATS across the last 3 series meetings. SJU is 4-0 ATS over its last 4 games.
The Red Storm has played a tougher slate so far, and that’s especially the case when it comes to offenses faced. And despite playing up-tempo, high-possession-churn basketball, SJU has yielded just 72.8 points per game (PPG). Recent ATS wins over Villanova, the Creighton Bluejays (Jan. 10) and Butler (Jan. 6) bode well for facing this caliber opponent.
The SHU offense has faltered of late. The Pirates don’t figure to have the inside or perimeter games to generate enough offense. They foul a lot on defense, and the Red Storm are a team that generates a lot of production at the free-throw line.
BACK ST. JOHN’S -9.5 (-110).
The Over has cashed in 3 straight SJU games.
The pace combination here puts average (SHU) together with fast (SJU). But aside from 3s, a lot of point-spiral factors should show up in numbers for this one. The Pirates are the slower team and in 2 of their last 3 games, they have showed some ability to reach or exceed expected offensive production without great shooting numbers. It’s the turnover/transition plays, free throws and second-chance buckets being counted on for this OVER 144.5 (-115).
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Duke / Florida / Florida State / Georgia / Iowa / Kentucky / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / UCLA / USC / Washington / Wisconsin / College Sports Wire / High School / Recruiting
