St John's vs. Creighton prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball

12/30/2024 05:27 PM

St. John’s has been red-hot entering this game, winning nine straight games, while Creighton is coming off a huge win in their last game against Villanova. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a St. John’s-Creighton prediction and pick.

St. John’s is 11-2 this season with notable wins against New Mexico, Virginia, Harvard, Kansas State, and Providence. Then, they have losses against Baylor and Georgia. RJ Luis Jr. and Zuby Ejiofor are two best players and make the Red Storm go. This is a difficult matchup because St. John’s does not have the size to compete against Creighton, but they have depth and a solid backcourt.

Creighton is 8-5 after starting the season with wins against Notre Dame, Kansas, UNLV, and Villanova. Then, they have notable losses against Nebraska, San Diego State, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Georgetown. Ryan Kalkbrenner down low and Steven Ashworth have carried the Blue Jays when needed this year. This is a difficult matchup against the Red Storm because St. John’s presents a bigger challenge athletically.

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

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

St. John’s: -1.5 (-110)

Moneyline: -122

Creighton: +1.5 (-110)

Moneyline: +102

Over: 153.5 (-110)

Under: 153.5 (-110)

How to Watch St. John’s vs. Creighton

Time: 4:00 pm ET/1:00 pm PT

TV: Peacock

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

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

St. John’s has opened the year as the best offense in the Big East. They score 84.8 points per game, have a field goal percentage of 48.4%, and have a three-point percentage of 33.2%. Four Red Storm players are averaging over double digits this season, with RJ Liuis Jr. leading at 16.9 points per game. Then, Deivon Smith leads the team in assists at 5.3. This offense excels thanks to their quick pace and balance across the roster. Luis Jr. and Zuby Ejiofor make this offense go in the backcourt and off the wing. This offense also gets a great matchup against Creighton due to the Blue Jays’ struggles on defense throughout the year. They should find some success in this game, even on the road.

St. John’s defense has seen mixed results this year. They allow 68.3 points per game, 41.1% from the field, and 34.6% from behind the arc. Then, down low, Ejiofor has been the best rebounder this season with 7.8 per game. Next, Ejiofor also leads the team in blocks at 2.2 per game. Finally, five Red Storm players average over one steals pe game with Deivon Smith leading the team with 1.9. St. John’s has the depth and athletes to challenge Creighton, but the Blue Jays are very efficient. It is an interesting mathcup between these two units. The Red Storm should find some success on defense, but it’s a question of how much success because the game is on Omaha and Creighton does not get shut down much.

Why Creighton Will Cover The Spread/Win

Creighton is very efficient and is playing well, but they need to find more consistency as a unit. They are scoring 76.8 points per game, have a 47.1% field goal percentage, and shooting 35.1% from three-point range. Four Blue Jays are averaging over double digits in scoring, with Ryan Kalkbrenner leading at 17.3 points per game and Steven Ashworth is just behind at 17 points per game. Then, Steven Ashworth also leads the team in assists at 6.4 per game. The talent is there for the Blue Jays on offense and they should score on the Red Storm. It also helps a lot that this game is at home in Omaha, as compared to if it was in New York.

Creighton’s defense has had a rocky start, but has gotten better as a unit. They allow 71.1 points per game, 40.5% from the field, and 32% from behind the arc. Kalkbrenner is the key for the team down low, leading in rebounding at 7.7 per game. He also leads the team in blocks at 2.5 per game. Finally, Jamiya Neal leads in steals at 0.8 per game. This is an interesting matchup for the Blue Jays because St. John’s has the roster balance on offense to bother Creighton in this game. They also have the athletes to score on Creighton too. This matchup is key for this game because Creighton getting this game at home helps the defense more than anything.

Final St. John’s-Creighton Prediction & Pick

Creighton is the pick. The Blue Jays have not looked as good as their potential, but this is a perfect matchup for them to make an early statement in the Big East. Ryan Kalkbrenner is the difference because St. John’s has no one to compete with his size down low. Creighton wins and covers in Omaha in this game.

Final St. John’s-Creighton Prediction & Pick: Creighton +1.5 (-110)

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