St. John’s vs Gonzaga | Prediction & Pick

Johnnies and Zags in a marquee matchup in Mile High City

The St. John’s Red Storm has returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nearly a decade. Their reward is to draw the upset-minded Gonzaga Bulldogs in Thursday’s second round Southeast Region contest in Denver.

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#6 St. John’s (21-11, 12-6 Big East) vs. #11 Gonzaga (24-9, 11-3 WCC)

Date/Time: Thursday, March 17, 9:45 PM ET
Venue: Pepsi Center in Denver, CO.
Broadcast: CBS

Money Line: St. John’s -125, Gonzaga +105
Spread: St. John’s -2
Over/Under: 135 ½

Steve Lavin took over as the coach of the Red Storm less than one year ago, and he has guided one of the cornerstone Big East basketball teams back into March Madness for the first time since 2002.

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There was a time when appearances in the NCAA Tournament were automatic for the Johnnies. During the Lou Carnesecca days, St. John’s qualified for the tournament every year but once between 1977 and 1993.

It’s currently that way for the Bulldogs. Gonzaga will be appearing in the tournament for the 13th consecutive season, the longest run for a team not playing in a ‘power conference.’ Gonzaga was in the process of building their status as big-time performers from a mid-major league when they edged St. John’s by six points in 2000, the only tournament matchup prior to this one.

The Bulldogs won the West Coast Conference tournament title, preventing regular season champion Saint Mary’s from gaining the league’s automatic bid. Always known for playing a solid non-conference schedule, the Bulldogs defeated Xavier and Marquette, while also registering ‘quality losses’ against Kansas State, San Diego State, Illinois, and Notre Dame – all of whom are in the NCAA Tournament this season.

Gonzaga is led by the scoring prowess of Steven Gray, averaging 13.8 points per game. Robert Sacre (12.5 PPG) and Elias Harris (12.1 PPG) are also two additional Bulldog players averaging double figures for the season.

The Red Storm counter with Dwight Hardy, who finished fourth in the Big East at 18.0 points per contest. Their ability to adapt to big games on the big stage (as they did in the games played at Madison Square Garden) should allow St. John’s to advance in a tight game.

The odds makers have the St. John’s Red Storm as a -2 point favorite with an over/under of 135.5.

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Prediction: Another reason to take the Johnnies in this game is their turnover margin ratio: St. John’s finished 13th best in the country with a +3.8 turnover forced per game.

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St. John’s Red Storm Betting Trends:

• St. John’s is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
• The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. John’s last 5 games