St. John’s vs. Kentucky Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for Saturday, Dec. 20

Iain MacMillan | 1 Hour Ago

St. John's and Kentucky will face off in the CBS Sports Classic on Saturday afternoon. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The St. John's Red Storm haven't gotten off to as hot a start to their season as they would've hoped, already dropping three contests, which has caused their ranking to fall to No. 22 in the country. They have another tough test ahead of them on Saturday afternoon when they face the Kentucky Wildcats in the CBS Sports Classic.

Let's take a look at the odds and my best bet for this Big East vs. SEC showdown.

St. John's vs. Kentucky Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

• St. John's -2.5 (-110)
• Kentucky +2.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• St. John's -146
• Kentucky +122

Total

• OVER 156.5 (-115)
• UNDER 156.5 (-105)

St. John's vs. Kentucky How to Watch

• Date: Saturday, December 20
• Game Time: 12:30 pm ET
• Venue: State Farm Arena
• How to Watch (TV): CBS
• St. John's Record: 7-3
• Kentucky Record: 7-4

St. John's vs. Kentucky Betting Trends

• St. John's is 1-4 ATS in its last five games
• St. John's is 0-8 ATS in its last eight games vs. SEC opponents
• The UNDER is 4-1 in St. John's last five games
• The UNDER is 5-2 in Kentucky's last seven games
• Kentucky is 1-4 ATS in its last five games as an underdog

St. John's vs. Kentucky Key Player to Watch

• Otega Oweh, G - Kentucky Wildcats

Otega Oweh is the heartbeat of this Kentucky squad. Not only is he averaging 14.0 points per game, but he's also adding on 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 48.6% from the floor. If he brings his "A" game, Kentucky is going to be a tough team to beat on Saturday.

St. John's vs. Kentucky Prediction and Pick

Both teams have played far better defensively than offensively this season. Kentucky is 23rd in defensive efficiency, and St. John's is right behind them at 30th. Meanwhile, they both rank outside the top 70 in effective field goal percentage.

We need more than just bad shooting and good defense for the total to remain under; we also need some slow-paced basketball, and Kentucky ranks 147th in the country in adjusted tempo, which is going to be key for this defensive affair.

I think the spread is set at the right number in this one, so give me the UNDER between two teams who are struggling offensively this season.

Pick: UNDER 156.5 (-105) via FanDuel

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