St. John’s vs. Kansas Prediction, Odds, Best Prop Bet for NCAA Tournament 2nd Round

Both St. John’s and Kansas avoided upsets in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and they’ll now face off in arguably the best matchup of the day on Sunday, March 22.

The Johnnies are 3.5-point favorites in this second-round clash, even though they are the lower seed (No. 5) in this game. St. John’s made quick work of Northern Iowa on Friday night, allowing just 53 points in a 26-point win.

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Meanwhile, Kansas failed to cover as a double-digit favorite against Cal Baptist, winning 68-60. Both of these defenses showed up in a big way, and that may end up being the case again on Sunday.

Darryn Peterson (28 points on Friday) is a projected top-three pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and he’ll look to build on a strong March Madness debut.

Last season, Rick Pitino’s Johnnies were knocked out in the second round by Arkansas, but they seem to be better equipped for a deep tournament run in 2026.

Let’s take a look at the betting odds, a player prop to consider and my prediction for this No. 5 vs. No. 4 battle in the Round of 32.

St. John’s vs. Kansas Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

St. John’s -3.5 (-108)
Kansas +3.5 (-112)

Moneyline

St. John’s: -166
Kansas: +140

Total

144.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

St. John’s vs. Kansas How to Watch

Date: Sunday, March 22
Time: 5:15 p.m. EST
Venue: Viejas Arena
How to Watch (TV): CBS
St. John’s record: 29-6
Kansas record: 24-10

St. John’s vs. Kansas Best Prop Bet

Darryn Peterson 3+ 3-Pointers Made (+105)

Peterson is an all-world scorer, and he made four shots from beyond the arc (on 11 attempts) in the first round against Cal Baptist.

The Jayhawks star has a much tougher matchup against a Johnnies team that is 36th in the country in opponent 3-point percentage, but Peterson can get his shot against just about anyone.

This season, Peterson is shooting 38.2 percent from deep, averaging 2.6 made 3-pointers on 6.8 attempts per game. If he’s going to come closer to double-digit attempts again on Sunday, he is a must bet at plus money in this market.

St. John’s vs. Kansas Prediction and Pick

These are two of the best defensive teams in the country, as Kansas is eighth in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency while St. John’s is 11th.

Both teams can score the ball, but Kansas is just 58th in adjusted offensive efficiency, making it a very intriguing UNDER team this season.

The Johnnies like to play frantic – and fast – ranking 69th in the country in adjusted tempo, but they combined for just 132 points in their first round matchup, holding Northern Iowa to 53 points. Kansas had just 128 combined points against Cal Baptist, allowing just 60 points.

Both of these defenses are elite at limiting their opponents’ shooting, as Kansas ranks fourth in opponent effective field goal percentage while St. John’s is 24th. Since both teams are just average offensively, I think the defenses will shine on Sunday.

The UNDER is 23-11 in Kansas’ games this season and 22-12 in the Johnnies’ games. This total is a touch too high at 144.5 on Sunday evening.

Pick: UNDER 144.5 (-112 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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