St. John's vs Creighton Odds, Pick
| St. John's Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -110 | 153.5 -110 / -110 | +270 |
| Creighton Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -110 | 153.5 -110 / -110 | -350 |
The Creighton Bluejays have rattled off three consecutive Big East victories against less-than-formidable opponents. On Saturday afternoon, the St. John's Red Storm will travel to Omaha, Nebraska, to face the Jays in what's shaping up to be a massive game for these teams.
The Johnnies are playing terrific basketball as of late. It's evident the impact of Rick Pitino in his first year as head coach has been very significant.
Jays head caoch Greg McDermott is tired of hearing that his team doesn't belong in the Final Four discussion.
St. John's Red Storm
College basketball is in a much better place when Pitino is courtside coaching his team. Many expected him to make an impact from day one, but I don't think anybody thought the Johnnies would be 12-4 thus far.
The reason for their success is because of their balance. The Johnnies are top-60 in both Offensive and Defensive Adjusted Efficiency.
As well as they've been playing, this is a difficult matchup for Pitino's squad for numerous reasons. Joel Soriano is having a great season thus far, but there are doubts about his success in this game.
The Johnnies are shooting 50% from inside the arc, whereas the Jays have contained their opponents to 45% in that area. They fail to get to the charity stripe and are an average team in the turnover department.
Backcourt mates Jordan Dingle and Daniss Jenkins need big games from deep, especially since they've been struggling. It's an area of the floor the Johnnies can capitalize against the Jays' defense.
The Johnnies' offensive rebounding has been superb thus far, ranking third in the country. The issue is that the Jays are excellent in the defensive rebounding department, which will cancel out SJU's typical edge.
It's not the best situational spot for the Johnnies, and their matchup issues are raising red flags. It'll be a big win for this program if it pulls off the upset, and I will re-evaluate Pitino's squad in future matchups.
Creighton Bluejays
It's still a mystery as to if this Jays team is a paper tiger, but digging into the metrics, they suggest they're not. They enter this contest top-15 in Offensive and Defensive Adjusted Efficiency.
I spoke about the matchup for Soriano inside earlier, and he'll be in trouble due to big man Ryan Kalkbrenner. He has a sparkling 73% FG rate inside the arc and should toy with Soriano all afternoon.
The Jays aren't as talented in the backcourt as last season, but there's an opportunity to get back on track in this game. Trey Alexander and Baylor Scheierman are usually the best shooters on the floor, but Alexander is still struggling from 3.
Creighton are shooting 37% from deep, as it'll exploit this Johnnies' perimeter defense. I wouldn't blink twice if the Jays exploded for 90 points in this contest.
Defensively, the Jays are more than capable of shutting down any offense in the Big East. They don't force turnovers, but they're best in the country in free throw attempts allowed per game.
With Kalkbrenner patrolling the interior, there are few clean shot attempts that occur inside the arc against the Jays. They also do an excellent job in the defensive rebounding department.
Due to their elite offensive and defensive talent, it's safe to say the Jays have a lot working in their favor to win this game by a large margin. Don't be surprised to see a rout in Omaha.
St. John's vs. Creighton
Betting Pick & Prediction
I think the Jays are in prime position to win huge at home. The Johnnies have been playing great basketball lately, but I think their winning streak ends here.
According to ShotQuality, the Johnnies are due for some regression. Meanwhile, the Jays have been a tad unlucky in some of their games.
The biggest key to this game is the matchup inside between Soriano and Kalkbrenner. Kalkbrenner should dominate and be a force on the glass all evening long.
I trust the Jays' backcourt more than the Johnnies', as they should have plenty of open looks from deep. The Johnnies may keep this close early on, but at the end of the day, I think the Jays will pull away late in the second half.
