Marquette vs. St. John's prediction, pick, college basketball odds

02/03/2025 01:57 PM

The top two teams in the Big East square off as Marquette visits St. John’s. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Marquette-St. John’s prediction and pick.

Marquette comes into the game at 18-4 on the year, and 9-2 in Big East play, placing them in second in the conference. They opened the year strong, starting 8-0 before a loss to Iowa State. Marquette would then beat Wisconsin before losing to Dayton. Since then, they are 9-2, and last time out, Marquette faced UConn. UConn took an early lead and would never surrender it. They led by 13 at the end of the first half, and UConn would go on to win the game 77-69.

Meanwhile, St. John’s is 19-3 on the year, and 10-1 in conference play, placing them in first place in the Big East. They opened the year 11-2, with losses to Baylor and Georgia. They would then have their only conference loss, falling to Creighton on the road by just one point. Since then, St. John’s has won eight straight. Last time out, St. John’s faced Providence. It was a tight game with Providence leading much of the first half, but St. John’s taking a four-point lead into halftime. St. John’s would build on the lead, but Providence came back to tie the game with just 33 seconds left. Still, St. John’s would hit the final shot of the game to win it 68-66.

Here are the Marquette-St. John’s College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel 

College Basketball Odds: Marquette-St. John’s Odds

Marquette: +2.5 (-106)

Moneyline: +118

St. John’s: -2.5 (-114)

Moneyline: -144

Over: 144.5 (-110)

Under:144.5 (-110)

How to Watch Marquette vs. St. John’s

Time: 6:30 PM ET/ 3:30 PM PT

TV: FS1

*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*

Why Marquette Will Cover The Spread/Win

Marquette is ranked 19th in KenPom’s current ratings. They are 28th in adjusted offensive efficiency while sitting 16th in adjusted defensive efficiency this year.  Marquette has been solid on defense this year, sitting 53rd in the nation in opponent points per game. They are also 172nd in opponent effective field goal percentage. Further, they are first in the nation in steals per game.

Kam Jones leads the way for Marquette this year. He leads the team in both points and assists this year, coming in with 19 points per game and 6.2 assists per game. Further, he adds 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. Meanwhile, Stevie Mitchell leads the team with 2.7 steals per game. He also adds 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Finally, Chase Ross comes in with 11.3 points per game while adding four rebounds, 2.1 assists, and two steals.

In the frontcourt, David Joplin leads the way. He leads the team with 5.2 rebounds per game while adding 14.5 points, 1.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. He is joined in the front court by Ben Gold. Gold has 7.6 points per game with 4.4 rebounds.

Why St. John’s Will Cover The Spread/Win

St. John’s is ranked 16th in KenPom’s current ratings. They are 72nd in adjusted offensive efficiency while sitting fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency this year. St. John’s has also been solid on defense this year. They are 24th in the nation in opponent points per game while sitting 20th in opponent effective field goal percentage. The defense has been great inside the arc as well. They are sixth in the nation in opponent two-point shooting this year. Further, they are third in the nation in blocks per game.

RJ Luis Jr. leads the way for St. John’s. He leads the team with 17.5 points per game while adding 6.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game He is joined in the backcourt by Kadary Richmond, who leads the team in assists and steals. He comes into the game with 4.8 assists per game while adding two steals per game. He also scored 11.9 points with 5.3 rebounds and one block.

In the frontcourt, Zuby Ejiofor leads the way. He leads the team with 8.1 rebounds per game while having 1.7 blocks per game this year. He also scores 14.4 points and adds an assist per game.

Final Marquette-St. John’s Prediction & Pick

This game will come down to a few key factors. First is extra possessions. Marquette is second in the nation in opponent turnovers per game, but St. John’s is seventh. Meanwhile, Marquette is 174th in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage this year, while St. John’s is 20th. St. John’s is also more efficient on defense. While both teams play with a fast pace, St. John’s is faster but gives up fewer points with more opponent possessions. They are tenth in opponent shooting efficiency this year while Marquette is 168th. Finally, while both teams play better defense in the second half, St. John’s sees their offensive production improve in the second half by a much greater margin than Marquette. Expect a tight game, but St. John’s to come away with the win.

Final Marquette-St. John’s Prediction & Pick: St. John’s -2.5 (-114) 

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