UConn vs. St. John’s Prediction, Odds for College Basketball on Friday, Feb. 6

Grab your popcorn and find a comfortable spot on the couch tonight, because one of the most fascinating college basketball games of the season thus far is set to go down in the Big East.

The No. 3-ranked UConn Huskies are 22-1 on the season, including a spotless 12-0 record in the Big East, but now they have to face their biggest competition in the conference in the No. 22-ranked St. John's Red Storm.

St. John's has one loss in conference play, losing to Providence back on January 3, but they're still two games clear in second place, meaning a win against UConn tonight will put them right in the mix for the regular season crown. If UConn wins, the Huskies will further tighten their grasp on the Big East and a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Let's dive into the odds and my best bet for this marquee matchup.

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

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

UConn -1.5 (-104)
St. John's +1.5 (-118)

Moneyline

UConn -115
St. John's -104

Total

OVER 144.5 (-110)
UNDER 144.5 (-110)

UConn vs. St. John's How to Watch

Date: Friday, February 6
Game Time: 8:00 pm ET
Venue: Madison Square Garden
How to Watch (TV): FOX
UConn Record: 22-1 (12-0 in Big East)
St. John's Record: 17-5 (10-1 in Big East)

UConn vs. St. John's Betting Trends

UConn is 2-7 ATS in its last nine games
The OVER is 4-1 in UConn's last five games
St. John's is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games vs. UConn
St. John's is 6-2 ATS in its last eight games
St. John's is 14-5 ATS in its last 19 games vs. Big East opponents

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

Zuby Ejiofor, F - St. John's Red Storm

Any time that St. John's plays, Zuby Ejiofor is the most important player on the court for them. He's leading the team in points per game (15.7), rebounds per game (7.5), assists per game (3.3), and blocks per game (2.0). If St. John's wants to win this game, they need Ejiofor to bring his best stuff.

UConn vs. St. John's Prediction and Pick

I don't think St. John's has the shooting to keep up with UConn. The Huskies rank 35th in the country in effective field goal percentage, while the Red Storm comes in at 129th in that metric.

Normally, St. John's wins because of its elite defense, but in this matchup, UConn has the advantage. The Huskies rank ninth in defensive efficiency, while the Red Storm rank 25th.

So if St. John's doesn't shoot better or play better defense, they must have the stylistic advantage, right? Wrong. St. John's ranks inside the top 80 in two-point shot rate, and now they have to face a Huskies team that ranks sixth in opponent two-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shooting juts 44.6% from the interior.

All signs point to UConn winning at Madison Square Garden.

Pick: UConn -1.5 (-104) via FanDuel

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