Northern Iowa Panthers vs St. John’s Red Storm NCAAB Betting Pick & Prediction for 3/20

The Northern Iowa Panthers and the St. John’s Red Storm will meet in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament. The game will take place at Viejas Arena in San Diego, CA. Fans can catch the action on CBS at 7:10 PM ET on Friday, March 20, 2026.

Northern Iowa, a 12 seed, comes from the Missouri Valley Conference with a regular season record of 23-12. Last postseason, they lost to SMU with a score of 73-63. St. John’s, a 5 seed, holds an AP Rank of #10 and a regular season record of 28-6. They hail from the Big East Conference and reached the second round last year, where they lost to Arkansas 75-66.

Northern Iowa Panthers vs St. John’s Red Storm Game Day Info

  • Sport: NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball
  • Teams: Northern Iowa Panthers vs St. John’s Red Storm
  • Venue: Viejas Arena, San Diego CA
  • Date: Friday, March 20, 2026
  • Betting Odds: St. John’s -10.5, Northern Iowa +10.5

Northern Iowa Panthers Team Preview

The Northern Iowa Panthers have been on a strong winning streak. They secured victories in their last three games. Against UIC Flames, they won 84-69, and Trey Campbell led with 23 points.

Offensively, the Panthers have been efficient. They rank 44th in field goal percentage with 47.7%. They average 69.9 points per game this season.

Defensively, the Panthers are working on improvement. They average 6.5 steals and 3.1 blocks per game. Their recent success could be a sign of progress.

St. John’s Red Storm Team Preview

The St. John’s Red Storm recently secured three wins at home. They defeated the Connecticut Huskies by a score of 72-52. Zuby Ejiofor led the team with 18 points and 9 rebounds in that game.

In another home game, they won against the Seton Hall Pirates, 78-68. Zuby Ejiofor again stood out with 20 points. Dillon Mitchell contributed with 13 points and 5 assists.

Earlier, they overcame the Providence Friars with a score of 85-72. Zuby Ejiofor was impressive, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Bryce Hopkins added 14 points and 13 rebounds in the victory.

BTB Betting Pick

For the spread pick, St. John’s is favored by 10.5 points. With St. John’s scoring 81.6 points per game and Northern Iowa scoring 69.9, St. John’s has a stronger offense. Given these stats, St. John’s is likely to cover the spread. The projected score is St. John’s 82, Northern Iowa 70.

For the over/under pick, the total is set at 131.5 points. St. John’s plays at a faster pace with 69.4 possessions per game. Combining both teams’ scoring averages, the projected total is 152 points. Therefore, the recommendation is to bet on the over.