Butler Bulldogs vs St. John’s Red Storm NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/4/25
Betting on today’s Bulldogs and Red Storm game? Catch the action at Carnesecca Arena in Queens, NY, as the Red Storm hosts this showdown at 2:00 ET on FS1. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 147.5 points, and St. John’s is favored by -11.5 to win at home against Butler.
BUTLER BULLDOGS VS ST. JOHN’S RED STORM BETTING PICK
The Pick: Butler Bulldogs +11.5
This game will be played at Carnesecca Arena at 2:00 ET on Saturday, January 4th.
WHY BET THE BUTLER BULLDOGS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-70 in favor of the Red Storm.
- Even though we have St. John’s winning straight-up, we like Butler at +11.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 147.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.
Can the Bulldogs Pull Off a Win at Queens?
Butler Bulldogs Recent Game/Games
Butler dropped to 7-7 on the season after a 73-65 home loss to Villanova on Wednesday. The Bulldogs entered the game as +1 underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 138, falling short of the 144.5 O/U line.
Butler led 31-30 at halftime but allowed 43 points in the 2nd half while scoring 34 of their own. The Bulldogs will need to tighten up defensively to get back on track.
Butler’s offense put up 65 points in their last game, shooting 42.3% from the field and 32.1% from beyond the arc, hitting 9 threes on 28 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 50%, but they struggled at the free-throw line, converting just 52.2% of their 23 attempts.
Eric Dixon led the way with 28 points, hitting 5 of 10 from deep, while Jahmyl Telfort added 25 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 57.1% overall. Wooga Poplar contributed 18 points and 15 boards, connecting on 2 of 5 threes.
Butler’s defense gave up 73 points, with the opponent shooting 42% from the field. They allowed 22 made field goals on 52 attempts.
Inside the arc, the opponent shot 54%, hitting 13 of 24 two-point attempts. From three-point range, they went 9 for 28, shooting 32%. Butler sent them to the line 23 times, where they made 12 free throws, shooting 52%. Butler allowed 6 offensive rebounds.
Is A Home Victory Likely for Favored St. John’s?
St. John’s fell to 11-3 on the season after a narrow 57-56 road loss to Creighton on Tuesday. Entering the game as +1 underdogs, the Red Storm pushed against the spread, while the combined 113 points fell well short of the 151.5 O/U line.
St. John’s led 28-26 at halftime but were outscored 31-28 in the 2nd half, resulting in the one-point loss.
St. John’s struggled offensively in their last game, managing just 56 points and shooting 36.8% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 38.2%, with two-point shooting at 39% (23/59) and three-point shooting at 22.2% (2/9).
The Red Storm had 14 offensive rebounds and 8 assists. Steven Ashworth contributed 18 points and 4 assists, shooting 33.3% from the field and 40% from three. Ryan Kalkbrenner and Zuby Ejiofor each added 16 points, with both shooting 66.7% overall.
St. John’s put on a strong defensive performance, holding their opponent to just 57 points on 41% shooting from the field. They limited two-point opportunities, with the opposing team making 13 of 27 attempts, and kept them in check from beyond the arc, where they shot 34% (9/26).
The Red Storm also sent their opponent to the free-throw line only 7 times, where they converted 4 attempts for 57%. St. John’s gave up 11 offensive rebounds but managed to keep the overall scoring impact minimal.