It hasn’t been a great year for the St. John’s Red Storm. St. John’s is at the bottom of the standings in the Big East and has been unable to get it going all year long. At 10-13, the Red Storm know that they need to win the conference tournament to make it to the Big Dance.
However, they can still play spoiler. The Duke Blue Devils have not been the most convincing road team this season. Duke has already lost to Boston College and NC State on the road, so it’s hard to consider them a lock to win this one.
This war on the floor will go down Saturday, February 3, 2018, at 12 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The game will be televised live on FOX. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Saturday schedule.
Opening College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
The Blue Devils have proven to be a team that can cover big spreads for the most part this season. Although they have had their hiccups on the road, Duke has been favored in every game this season, usually by double digits or more, and still sits at 13-7 ATS. It has been a little better than that lately though, with a mark of 5-2 ATS in its last seven games.
Although the under has cashed more often lately as Duke’s defense has gotten better, the over has still cashed at a much greater rate this season. The under is 5-2 in the Blue Devils’ last seven games, but the over is 14-6 this year.
It’s been a nightmare of a season for St. John’s. The Red Storm are still looking for their first Big East win, and they are currently sitting at 0-11 in Big East play. Although St. John’s has lost 11 in a row, this team has still kept up the fight with only a handful of stinker performances.
On the season, St. John’s is 9-12 ATS, and has not covered in each of its last four. Under has been a great bet in this team’s games, with an overall record of 14-7. At home, the under has cashed in eight of 10.
Key Stat
The offense has been the main problem for St. John’s all year long. The Red Storm have just not been able to create good shots, and that has hurt them in one of the most creative conferences in the country.
On the season, the Red Storm are outside of the top 300 in both field goal percentage and three-point percentage. That’s a devastating combination. Shamorie Ponds is the team’s leading scorer, but he is not an efficient shooter. Ponds is hitting 38.5 percent from the floor and 20.3 percent from beyond the arc. He has taken more shots than almost anyone in the country, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Player to Watch
If it wasn’t for Trae Young, Marvin Bagley III would likely be the frontrunner for the Naismith Award. Bagley has been phenomenal as a freshman and might be the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft. He has proven that he can do it all at the collegiate level, and he has not had the growing pains that other freshmen have experienced.
Bagley is averaging a double-double every night and is a menace in the low post. He is hitting almost 60 percent of his field goals this season and is one of the nation’s leading rebounders, hauling down 11.4 RPG. Additionally, he has really stepped up his game on defense, helping Duke start to turn the corner.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
The Blue Devils have historically fared well in MSG, and they should have plenty of support. There are a lot of Duke fans in NYC, so look for there to be no home court advantage for the Red Storm.
In spite of that, I like St. John’s to cover. The Red Storm have been competitive, but they have been unable to break through. They will be heavy underdogs against Duke, and that will help them stay within the number.
College Basketball Odds: Duke 81, St. John’s 72
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