Xavier vs. St. John’s Prediction, Odds for College Basketball on Monday, Feb. 9

The St. John's Red Storm got its biggest win of the season on Friday night, handing UConn its first Big East loss of the year. Now, St. John's is just half a game back from the Huskies for the top spot in the conference, and they're in a great spot to draw even with UConn tonight when they host the Xavier Musketeers.

Let's dive into the odds and my best bet for this Big East showdown.

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

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

Xavier +15.5 (-110)
St. John's -15.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Xavier +980
St. John's -2000

Total

OVER 160.5 (-110)
UNDER 160.5 (-110)

Xavier vs. St. John's How to Watch

Date: Monday, February 9
Game Time: 6:30 pm ET
Venue: Madison Square Garden
How to Watch (TV): FS1
Xavier Record: 12-11 (4-8 in Big East)
St. John's Record: 18-5 (11-1 in Big East)

Xavier vs. St. John's Betting Trends

Xavier is 12-6 ATS in its last 18 games
The OVER is 6-1 in Xavier's last seven games
The OVER is 11-1 in Xavier's last 12 road games
St. John's is 4-1 ATS in its last five home games vs. Xavier
St. John's is 7-2 ATS in its last nine games

Xavier 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 (15.9), rebounds per game (7.6), assists per game (3.5), and blocks per game (2.0). If St. John's wants to cover this big spread, they need Ejiofor to bring his best stuff. He put up 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks, and two steals against UConn on Friday.

Xavier vs. St. John's Prediction and Pick

St. John's might be hitting their stride, and Xavier doesn't have what it takes to hang with them. The Musketeers are just 183rd in effective field goal percentage and 190th in defensive efficiency. The Red Storm outranked them significantly on defense, coming in at 28th in defensive efficiency.

Not only is St. John's elite defensively, but the Red Storm are also 22nd in effective possession ratio, which goes a long way in covering big spreads. It's also worth noting they have an average scoring margin of +17.9 when playing on their home court.

I'll lay the points with the Red Storm.

Pick: St. John's -15.5 (-110) via FanDuel

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