The No. 13 Villanova Wildcats begin their final multi-game road swing of the season as they tip off against the St. John’s Red Storm at Madison Square Garden. St. John’s is looking to secure consecutive wins for the first time since early January, while Villanova looks to begin a streak of its own after topping Providence on Wednesday. The Wildcats earned a 76-71 win over the Red Storm in early January and are a 3-point favorite in tonight’s game with the total Sportsbook at 147 points.
- Villanova is 12-1 SU and 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games.
- St. John’s has gone UNDER in seven of its last 10 games.
- Villanova averages the sixth-most three-pointers made per game this season. (10.8)
Villanova vs St. John’s Game Center
Wildcats Continue to rely on the three-pointer
Villanova was rolling through Big East play to the tune of a 10-0 record before its trip to the Fiserv Forum for a date with then-No. 10 Marquette. The Wildcats hung tough on the road but ultimately fell to the Golden Eagles 66-65 for its first loss in conference play and just their fifth loss overall. Villanova rebounded from that defeat with an 85-67 triumph over Providence on Wednesday.
The Wildcats have been able to pour in points with ease this season, averaging 76.2 points per game which ranks 77th, which makes a slight jump to 77 ppg on the road. They average 32.4 points per game from three-point range which are the sixth-most in college hoops and that accumulates for 42.5 percent of their total offense. They are also quite effective inside the arc hitting 55.7 percent of their two-point attempts which ranks 18th.
Meanwhile, defensively, the Wildcats are limiting their foes to just 66.6 points per game which are the 51st-fewest in the nation, which increases slightly to 67.6 ppg on the road. They do a good job limiting the shots against, ranking 102nd in fewest shots against per game at 55.8, but their foes are hitting 43.6 percent of those attempts which ranks 139th. Most notably, their opponents are shooting 33.8 percent from beyond the arc which climbs to 36.5 percent in away games.
Red Storm Struggling to Find Consistency
It has been a real up-and-down go through the Big East for St. John’s this year, failing to pick up back-to-back wins since the beginning of January. Included in those two consecutive wins, though, was an impressive 89-69 home triumph over then-No. 16 Marquette. Most recently, St. John’s is riding a win-one, lose-one streak over its last six games and is coming off a 77-73 overtime victory against Butler.
The Red Storm has done well at piling on the points, ranking 31st with 79.6 points per game this season. They get 33.8 percent of their total offense from three-point range which ranks 124th and they shoot 37 percent from downtown which is the 62nd-best percentage. Meanwhile, inside the arc they hit 52.4 percent of their attempts which ranks 96th.
Stopping opponents from scoring has been a big of an issue, though, as St. John’s ranks 213th with 73.5 points allowed per game, which drops to 69.8 ppg at home. Due it’s high-tempo of play, it gives up 59.1 shots against per game ranking 231st, but its opponents are only shooting 42.7 percent which is the 100th-lowest percentage. Another area of concern is that the Storm allow 8.9 offensive rebounds per game which lead to more second-chance opportunities and Villanova averages 9.1 offensive boards per game.
Should you be on the UNDER
Both Villanova and St. John’s have been reliable UNDER plays recently and Sportsbook has tonight’s total Sportsbook at 147 points. The Wildcats have gone UNDER in four of their last six games with only two games going OVER 147 points. Meanwhile, the Red Storm have gone UNDER in seven of their last 10 contests, but only two games went UNDER 147.
These two teams tipped off at the Finneran Pavilion and played to a combined score that matched tonight’s total 147. I think the line is set appropriately, both teams played their game the first time and hit 147 so I really think it’s a coin flip and if were to choose I would be on the UNDER.
My take on St. John’s vs Villanova
I like Villanova to cover the 3-point spread. The Wildcats have been a terrific road team this year going 8-3 SU and 9-2 ATS. They remain consistent on the road compared to at home and I think that’s why they succeed as they average one more point for and against on the road so it equals out. Additionally, the shoot four percent better from beyond the arc in away games vs home games.
St. John’s allows a lot of shots against ranking 231st and it ranks 226th in opponent offensive rebounds at 8.9, while Villanova secures 9.1 offensive boards per game. The Wildcats have an advantage inside the arc and sophomore forward Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree may be a difference maker in this game as he only played five minutes in the first meeting.
