The St. John’s Red Storm (10-10, 0-8 Big East), who are currently on an eight-game skid, look to get back in the win column when they welcome the Creighton Bluejays (15-5, 5-3 Big East) to Carnesecca Arena. Creighton opened as a 3.5-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 156 points. Action starts at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.
Creighton Bluejays at St. John’s Red Storm ATS Preview
The last time the Bluejays played, they lost to the Providence Friars, 85-71. With 22 points on 7-for-16 shooting, Marcus Foster was the top scorer from either team. Providence did an excellent job of converting from the charity stripe (17-18; 94.4 percent). Creighton, meanwhile, had a turnover percentage of 8.8 (better than their season average of 14.1).
The Red Storm are hoping for a better outcome after their 93-89 loss to the Georgetown Hoyas in their last outing. Shamorie Ponds was the top scorer from either team with 33 points on 12-for-23 shooting. Georgetown did an excellent job of getting and making free throws (26-34; 76.5 percent). St. John’s, on the other hand, had a better turnover percentage (15.7 vs. 18.3).
St. John’s could put on a ball-control clinic in this showdown. St. John’s ranks 29th in the NCAA at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 16.3 percent), while Creighton forces the 18th-fewest turnovers (15.9 percent).
Of Creighton’s 19 games that accepted bets, 10 have finished over the projected point total, while 9 of St. John’s 16 games have finished under the O/U total. Looking at straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records, the Bluejays have a substantial advantage. They are 15-5 SU and 11-8 ATS, while the Red Storm are 10-10 SU and 8-9-1 ATS.
These teams have already met once this season. The two teams combined for 149 points in that game, which was under the projected point total of 157.5. The Bluejays won 78-71, but were unable to cover as 12-point favorites. The Bluejays played a nearly flawless game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 22.2 and a free throw rate of 0.226. The Red Storm were 5.4 and 0.097, respectively, for those same stats. Despite the loss, Justin Simon was a standout player in the game, putting up 14 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Creighton Bluejays vs. St. John’s Red Storm Betting Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Creighton, ATS Winner – Creighton, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Red Storm rank eighth in steals per game (9.3) while the Bluejays rank 175th (5.3).
- St. John’s ranks sixth in blocks per game (6.3) while Creighton ranks 168th (2.5).
- Creighton is 3-5 ATS on the road with 5 overs and 3 unders.
- St. John’s is 4-3-1 ATS at home with 4 unders and 2 overs.
- Creighton ranks 19th in three pointers attempted per game (27.9) while St. John’s ranks 234th in three pointers allowed per game (24.4).
- The Bluejays average 38.5 rebounds per game, which ranks 57th in the NCAA. The Red Storm rank 262nd in rebounds allowed per game (40.5).
- Creighton ranks fourth in assists per game (19.2) while St. John’s ranks 173rd in assists allowed per game (14.2).
Betting Trends:
- St. John’s is 2-3 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Creighton is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
- The Red Storm have been outscored by an average of 7.4 points in their last five games. On the season, St. John’s has defeated opponents by an average of 3.3 points.
- During their last five games, the Bluejays have scored an average of 79.2 points per game (8.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 76.0 points per game (2.8 above their season average).
