The St. John's Red Storm take on the Villanova Wildcats in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on Peacock.
Villanova is favored by 1.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -120. The total is set at 147.5 points.
Here’s my St. John's vs. Villanova prediction and college basketball picks for January 17, 2026.
St. John's vs Villanova Prediction
My Pick: St. John's ML
My St. John's vs Villanova best bet is on the Johnnies to win outright. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
St. John's vs. Villanova Odds
| St. John's Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -115 | 147.5 -110o / -110u | +100 |
| Villanova Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -105 | 147.5 -110o / -110u | -120 |
- St. John's vs Villanova spread: Villanova -1.5
- St. John's vs Villanova over/under: 147.5
- St. John's vs Villanova moneyline: St. John's +100, Villanova -120
St. John's vs Villanova College Basketball Betting Preview
St. John's Basketball
Rick Pitino put together a roster this offseason that much of the college basketball world assessed as a top-10 unit.
Two weeks into January, the Johnnies are unranked, with losses against the four best teams they’ve faced, plus a home loss to Providence, which is otherwise 0-5 in Big East play.
Even with some growing pains and a roster makeup that isn’t fully optimal, it’s undeniable that this is still a very talented basketball team — and one that may have turned the corner.
The Red Storm are up to 18th nationally in KenPom's ratings, riding the All-American–level play of Zuby Ejiofor. With Zuby playing alongside Dillon Mitchell and Bryce Hopkins, the St. John’s frontcourt is ridiculously strong and athletic, capable of bullying most opponents.
Pitino’s crew ranks 19th nationally in offensive rebounding rate and leads the Big East in defensive rebounding during league play. They also top the conference in turnover percentage on both ends of the floor in Big East games, consistently dominating the margins.
The main questions surrounding this group this season have been underwhelming defense and perimeter shooting. The Johnnies have taken significant strides defensively, climbing to 22nd nationally in defensive efficiency, and they’re shooting 39.7% from deep in conference play.
One reason the shooting has improved is the emergence of Greek sophomore Lefteris Liotopoulos. He played just five minutes in the rout of Marquette on Tuesday, but was massive in other recent games, drilling five threes in a big road win over Creighton.
Pitino now has 10 players he’s willing to go to depending on matchups, and the role allocation — along with the lack-of-a-point-guard issue — has lessened as of late.
Villanova Basketball
It didn’t take long for Kevin Willard to pull Villanova out of the depths of Kyle Neptune's hell, as the Wildcats sit at 14-3 and have played some really good basketball.
Nova already has four Big East road wins, though it dropped a home contest to Creighton by four back on January 7.
Sure, the Big East is a bit weaker this year, but Villanova has made a strong case for being the second-best team in the league through connected offensive play and solid defense.
This is a true half-court team, ranking 356th nationally in adjusted tempo.
The shooting percentages have cooled slightly of late, but this is still a very good shooting team with high-level guard play. On the season, Villanova is shooting over 36% from deep. Bryce Lindsay is at 40%, while somehow-still-in-college Devin Askew is at 39%.
Freshman Acaden Lewis isn’t on the same shooting level as his backcourt mates, but he’s been a dynamo getting downhill and ranks top 50 nationally in assist rate. He’s averaging 7.3 assists across four January contests.
Willard deploys a tight seven-and-a-half-man rotation, with the “half” being backup center Braden Pierce, who checks in for roughly four to nine minutes per game and doesn’t provide much.
Starting center Duke Brennen has been excellent this season, dominating the glass on both ends and scoring efficiently on the interior.
However, the Pierce minutes have been rough, and if both Brennen and Pierce are off the floor, Nova is forced to go ultra-small with 6-foot-8 freshman Matt Hodge at the five.
St. John's vs. Villanova Betting Analysis
This is a big game for both squads in the unofficial battle for second-best-team-in-the-Big East bragging rights.
Villanova has played more consistent team basketball all season, but St. John’s is the side for me here.
It’ll be tough to get this done on the road, as Nova is less mistake-prone than some of the teams St. John’s has beaten up on recently, and they also have one of the best rebounders in the country ready to compete with the Johnnies’ dominance on the glass.
That said, with St. John’s depth and Villanova’s lack of it, it feels more likely that the Red Storm can overpower and outlast the Wildcats.
Nova will need to be very crisp offensively, limit mistakes, shoot the ball well from deep, and keep Brennen out of foul trouble. The Wildcats are capable of doing that, especially at home — but St. John’s is the simpler sell.
Pitino and the boys get this one done.
My Pick: St. John's ML
