It’s a rivalry renewed at the Prudential Center on Friday night.
St. John’s travels across the Hudson River to play Seton Hall Pirates, as Rick Pitino’s group is a moderate 4.5-point favorite at bet365 Sportsbook.
The Pirates (20-10) are the No. 4 team in the Big East behind Villanova, St. John’s and UConn.
In January, St. John’s defeated Seton Hall, 65-60 at Madison Square Garden, where Pitino’s squad really turned up the defensive pressure late to rally from a big hole.
The Johnnies held Seton Hall to 28 percent shooting in the second half and 13 turnovers.
A win for St. John’s would guarantee them a second straight Big East regular season title, although this one would be as co-champions should UConn beat Marquette on Saturday.
Both teams are looking to stamp their tickets to the March Madness tournament later this month with a strong end to the season.
St. John’s vs. Seton Hall prediction
The Red Storm just played a tight game against Georgetown, where they won by just three points at home in a game they were favored by 16.5 points.
We targeted Georgetown +16.5 there, but St. John’s is difficult for me to bet on as a favorite of more than four points, given their problems shooting the ball.
The Red Storm are rated No. 52 in the country offensively, according to KenPom, and Seton Hall is even worse, ranking No. 155.
Both teams are top 20 in the country defensively, and given the familiarity these two squads have with one another, this one could look like a rock fight at times.
Betting on College Basketball?
FTN ranks Seton Hall No. 47 and St. John’s 21 overall, making this a particularly competitive matchup.
I’m targeting Under 136.5 and taking the points with Seton Hall.
PREDICTIONS: Under 136.5 (-110, bet365) | Seton Hall +4.5 (-110, Fanatics Sportsbook)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.