Xavier vs St. John’s Prediction, Preview, Odds and Picks Dec. 28
Big East Showdown
The No. 22 Xavier Musketeers will play the St. John’s Red Storm in Queens on Wednesday night in a Big East battle. After defeating Seton Hall 73-70 at home, Xavier (10-3, 6-6-1 ATS, 10-3 O/U) moved to 2-0 in conference play but failed to cover an eight-point spread. In a challenging 78-63 loss to Villanova,
St. John’s (11-2, 6-7 ATS, 6-7 O/U) also failed to cover the spread and dropped to 0-1 in conference play.
Let’s check the latest college basketball odds, stats, injury reports, and college basketball lines for Xavier vs St. John’s. We’ve plenty of NCAA basketball odds for you to consider.
Musketeers Enter Top 25
After beginning the campaign outside of the Top 25, Xavier has climbed to No. 22 in the AP Poll after winning five straight contests. With wins over solid teams like West Virginia, Cincinnati and Seton Hall, this team is battle-tested. All of their losses come from opponents who are ranked among the top 12 in the country. Be that as it may, the Musketeers are more concerned about winning games than covering the spread – they are just 1-3 ATS over their last four contests.
Overall, the offense has been potent, averaging 83.8 points (14th), while shooting 40.9% from the 3-point line (6th). Souley Boum leads the team with 17.3 points per game while Colby Jones has added 14.8 points and 5.8 assists per game. Their inability to stop three-point shots is their biggest weakness up to this point, ranking 330th. Meanwhile, they also allow 73.6 points per game on 44.1% shooting from the field.
Red Storm Look to Stay Undefeated at Home
Despite Joel Soriano’s 11th double-double (17 points, 13 rebounds) and AJ Storr’s 15 points off the bench against Villanova, St. John’s hopes to rebound from just its second loss of the season. In Carnesecca Arena, the Johnnies will have a huge advantage as they seek to win their 10th consecutive game at home.
Soriano leads the Red Storm in scoring and rebounds with 15.4 points and 12.6 boards per game. Their biggest strength is their defense that allows just 68.4 points per game while also forcing 15.2 turnovers per contest. St. John’s has struggled against the spread going 6-6-1, but they are undefeated (8-0) straight up at home and have not allowed over 75 points at home while limiting opponents to 65 points in Queens.
Xavier vs St. John’s Game Injuries
Xavier vs St. John’s Name Head-to-Head
In their two meetings in the previous campaign, St. John’s handily prevailed by 13 points on the road and 15 at home.
Xavier vs St. John’s Game Information
- Game: Xavier (0-0) vs St. John’s Red(0-0)
- Location: Carnesecca Arena, Queens, NY
- Day/Time: Wednesday, Dec. 28, 9:00 p.m. ET
- Xavier vs St. John’s Live Stream: TBS.com
Xavier vs St. John’s Betting Lines
Xavier vs St. John’s Picks & Prediction
While Xavier enters the Top 25 this week, the Musketters will have their backs up against the wall when they play St. John’s on Wednesday Night. The Johnnies will have the advantage in this one as they are 8-0 at home while holding opponents to 65 points per game at Carnesecca Arena.
While the Musketeers boast one of the best offensive attacks in the nation, they have yet to figure out the Red Storm as of late, with St. John’s going 3-0 straight up and against the spread in their last three matchups. Xavier also is one of the worst 3-point defending teams in the country, which should open up some great looks for the Red Storm in this one.
The Xavier Musketeers are listed at -130 in our Vegas Lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Musketeers, you have a chance to win $76.92. The St. John’s Red Storm is +110, offering a chance to win $110.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines give the Musketeers a 56.52% chance to win, with the Red Storm at 47.62%.
