The Villanova Wildcats take on the St. John's Red Storm in New York, New York. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
St. John's is favored by 6.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -300. The total is set at 245 points.
Here’s my Villanova vs. St. John's prediction and college basketball picks for February 28, 2026.
Villanova vs St. John's Prediction
My Pick: St. John's -6.5
My Villanova vs St. John's best bet is on the Red Storm to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Villanova vs St. John's Odds
| Villanova Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 145 -110o / -110u | +240 |
| St. John's Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 145 -110o / -110u | -300 |
- Villanova vs St. John's spread: St. John's -6.5, Villanova +6.5
- Villanova vs St. John's over/under: 145 Points
- Villanova vs St. John's moneyline: Villanova +240, St. John's -300
Villanova vs St. John's College Basketball Betting Preview
Villanova Basketball
Villanova enters this contest with a 22-6 overall record, having won 13 of its first 17 conference games.
Most were unsure what to expect from Villanova in Kevin Willard’s first year at the helm. For a program that won two national titles under Jay Wright, the Wildcats entered unfamiliar territory after missing the Big Dance in each of Kyle Neptune's three seasons.
Villanova got off to a scorching start in Willard’s debut, with the coach leading his Wildcats to 12 victories over their first 14 contests. A couple months later, Villanova is now in prime shape to make its first NCAA Tournament of the post-Wright era.
Leading the charge for a Wildcats offense that's scoring over 77 points per game this season is Tyler Perkins. He's having a phenomenal campaign, posting over 14 points and five rebounds per game.
Alongside Perkins, freshman Acaden Lewis is having a stellar season as well, posting over 12 points per game. He's also tallying 5.2 assists per contest, which ranks inside the top 50 nationally.
The backcourt leads a Villanova offense that ranks 35th in the country in offensive efficiency, per KenPom.
The Wildcats have been spectacular on the other end of the floor as well, boasting a ton of athleticism up front.
Duke Brennan is averaging a double-double this season and has been a phenomenal rim protector.
The defensive efforts of Brennan and 6-foot-9 freshman forward Matt Hodge have largely contributed to a defense that ranks in the top 35 in efficiency, according to Haslametrics.
The Wildcats' defense is allowing its opponents to score 70 points per game, maintaining a solid +7-point scoring margin.
St. John's Basketball
Under the leadership of its Hall of Fame head coach, Rick Pitino, St. John's enters this contest with a 22-6 overall record, having just been defeated by UConn to end a 13-game win streak.
Pitino had among the best offseasons of any other coach in the country, making some big-time moves in the transfer portal, which have surely contributed to the Johnnies’ status this season.
In a decision that surprised many, Pitino landed Ian Jackson, who had a stellar freshman campaign in Chapel Hill last season.
Jackson has actually taken a step back scoring-wise, posting just 10 points per contest this season after averaging nearly 13 points for the Heels in 2024-25. The sophomore runs point for a Johnnies’ offense that's racking up nearly 84 points per game.
Jackson’s impact has been far greater on the defensive end of the floor, as he boasts impressive length and athleticism. That's turned him into one of the best on-ball defenders in college basketball.
Pitino also landed Bryce Hopkins in the portal to play alongside star Zuby Ejiofor in the Red Storm frontcourt. Hopkins transferred after injury concerns largely affected his ability to stay healthy at Providence over the last two seasons.
Also, it's no surprise that Ejiofor is having another monster campaign for the Johnnies. Ejiofor is scoring nearly 16 points per game and is converting on an impressive 53% of his field goal attempts.
Former Texas forward Dillon Mitchell was another major addition for Pitino on the defensive end of the floor, and he rounds out an unbelievably stacked frontcourt.
The Johnnies’ defense is allowing 71 points per game this season, with Pitino’s bunch posting an impressive double-digit scoring margin. Per KenPom, the Red Storm have one of the most efficient defenses in the country, ranking inside the top 15.
Villanova vs. St. John's Betting Analysis
We're in for a very closely-contested matchup on Saturday, with these two conference foes looking to improve their NCAA Tournament resumes.
The Johnnies were one of the hottest teams in all of college basketball prior to getting their doors blown off by the Huskies.
After winning 13 consecutive games, Pitino’s bunch scored just 40 points in its 32-point defeat. At one point, the Red Storm missed 24 consecutive field goal attempts.
Though the loss to UConn was pretty concerning, I'm still high on the Johnnies long-term, as long as they're able to get some more consistent play from their guards.
While Villanova’s frontcourt has been rather impressive on defense, this should be one of its toughest matchups all season.
This looks like a prime bounce-back spot for the Red Storm at MSG.
The Wildcats have had a very impressive first season under Willard, but long-term, I'm not a believer in this bunch.
Given a chance to secure the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Big East Tournament, I think this is a great spot to back Pitino’s Johnnies to cover the spread in spectacular fashion after one of the worst defeats in program history.
My Pick: St. John's -6.5
