St. John’s Red Storm vs Xavier Musketeers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/7/25
Betting on today’s Red Storm and Musketeers game? Catch the action at Cintas Center in Cincinnati, OH, as the Musketeers hosts this showdown at 6:30 ET on FS1. St. John’s is favored by -1.5 in this Big East conference contest against Xavier. The game’s over/under currently sits at 151.5 points.
ST. JOHN’S RED STORM VS XAVIER MUSKETEERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Xavier Musketeers +1.5
This game will be played at Cintas Center at 6:30 ET on Tuesday, January 7th.
WHY BET THE XAVIER MUSKETEERS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-69 in favor of the Musketeers.
- Not only will Xavier pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +1.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 151.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 145 points.
Will St. John’s Find a Way to Win on the Road?
St. John’s Red Storm Recent Game/Games
St. John’s improved to 12-3 on the season with a 70-62 win over Butler on Saturday, January 4th. The Red Storm, playing at home, were -11.5 favorites going into the game, but they didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 132, which was under the O/U line of 148.5.
St. John’s trailed 29-25 at halftime but turned things around in the 2nd half, scoring 45 points while holding Butler to 33.
St. John’s struggled from beyond the arc in their last game, hitting just 1 of 21 three-point attempts for a dismal 4.8% shooting percentage. Overall, they shot 36.6% from the field, with an effective field goal percentage matching that mark. Inside the arc, they were more efficient, making 50% of their two-point shots (25/50).
RJ Luis Jr. led the team with 20 points and 11 rebounds, despite missing all 5 of his three-point attempts. Pierre Brooks II added 17 points, connecting on 3 of 6 threes, while Patrick McCaffery also hit 3 threes, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Kadary Richmond contributed 11 points and a team-high 6 assists.
St. John’s put on a defensive clinic, holding their opponent to just 62 points on 36% shooting. The Red Storm were particularly effective at defending the three, where they limited their opponent to just 1 made three-pointer on 21 attempts, a 4% success rate.
Inside the arc, their opponent shot 50%, going 25/50 on two-point attempts. St. John’s sent their opponent to the free-throw line 23 times, where they made 17 free throws, shooting 73%. The Red Storm also gave up 13 offensive rebounds.
Do the Musketeers Have a Shot at a Home Win?
Xavier Musketeers Recent Game/Games
Xavier’s season record dropped to 9-6 after a 69-63 road loss to Georgetown on Friday. Entering the game as +1.5 point underdogs, the Musketeers not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.
Trailing 30-24 at halftime, Xavier scored 39 points in the second half but couldn’t make up ground as they allowed Georgetown to match them with 39 points. The game’s total points of 132 fell short of the 146.5 O/U line.
Xavier’s offense struggled in their last game, shooting just 35.1% from the field and 26.3% from three-point range. They managed only 8 assists, with an effective field goal percentage of 38.6%.
Malik Mack led the way with 26 points, hitting 3 of 9 from deep. Zach Freemantle added 16 points, connecting on 2 of 3 from beyond the arc, while Micah Peavy contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Despite giving up 69 points, Xavier’s defense held their opponent to just 4 made threes on 18 attempts, a 22% shooting performance from beyond the arc. The Musketeers also sent them to the line 25 times, where they converted 15 free throws, shooting 60%.
Inside the arc, Xavier allowed 21 two-point baskets on 38 attempts, with their opponent shooting 55% on twos. The Musketeers also gave up 11 offensive rebounds in the game.