No. 12 St John's vs No. 19 UConn: Preview, prediction and odds (February 7, 2025)

On Friday, the No. 12 St. John's Red Storm will face the No. 19 UConn Huskies. The Red Storm (20-3) have been excellent in conference play this season. They have won nine straight, coming off a strong win over the No. 11 Marquette Golden Eagles on Feb. 4.

Meanwhile, the Huskies (16-5) are gaining momentum in Big East play this year. They are 8-3 in their conference matchups, including a 77-69 win over Marquette on Feb. 1.

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St. John's vs UConn: Preview, prediction and odds

The Harry Gampel Pavilion in Connecticut will host the showdown between the Red Storm and Huskies. Fans can catch the action by tuning in to Fox at 8 p.m. ET.

St. John's vs UConn: Game preview

The Red Storm have performed at a high level this season. They average 78.9 points on 45.2% shooting and 29.6% from beyond the arc, beating opponents by 13.8 points per game.

RJ Luis Jr. would stand out as a challenge for the Huskies defense. He averages 17.4 points on 45% shooting and 28.4% from downtown, along with 6.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists.

Other players to keep an eye on from the Red Storm would be Zuby Ejiofor and Kadary Richmond. Ejiofor is posting 14.3 ppg and 8.3 rpg as the team's best rebounder, while Richmond is the leading playmaker with 12.1 ppg and 4.9 apg.

UConn showcases itself as a solid squad. The Huskies score 79.9 points on 49.4% shooting and 37% from 3, taking down teams by 11.3 ppg.

The main objective for the Red Storm defense would be containing the scoring punch of Solo Ball and Alex Karaban. They score 15 points each, as Ball is the team's best 3-point shooter with 67 triples made, while Karaban is second on the rebounding chart with 5.1 rebounds per contest.

Two players who can assist the Huskies in this game are Tarris Reed Jr. and Hassan Diarra. Reed puts up 9.5 ppg and 6.8 rpg, while Diarra is the best passer with 8.6 ppg and 6.4 apg.

St. John's vs UConn: Prediction

The Huskies have a homecourt advantage, but the Red Storm have enough talent on both sides of the ball to match up with their opponents. St. John's will be relentless on the glass as it tries to disrupt UConn's offensive rhythm, which, if successful, may see the home team get stunned.

St. John's vs UConn: Odds

Moneyline: St. John's (+138) vs. UConn (-166)

Spread: St. John's (+3.5) vs. UConn (-3.5)

Total (O/U): St. John's (o141.5 -115) vs. UConn (u141.5 -105)