The No. 11-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles face off against the No. 12-ranked St. John's Red Storm in college basketball action on Tuesday night.
The Red Storm have won 14 of their last 15 games thanks to their stingy defense, which is why my Marquette vs. St. John's predictions are betting on the Under at Madison Square Garden tonight. Here are my free college basketball picks for this Big East showdown on February 4.
Marquette vs St. John's prediction
My best bet
Under 146.5 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
Both of these teams like to push the pace and are putting up plenty of points in non-conference play. However, the St. John's Red Storm are also fourth in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency and have been even more dominant on defense since the start of Big East Play.
The Red Storm are coming off a 68-66 win against Providence and have allowed just 61.5 points per game across 11 conference games. During conference play, the Johnnies lead the Big East in adjusted defensive efficiency and opponent effective field goal percentage (44.1%) while ranking second in opponent turnover rate (23.7%).
Meanwhile, the Marquette Golden Eagles are fresh off a 77-69 loss to UConn and have limited foes to 67.6 ppg over their last five contests. They rank 16th in the country in adjusted defense and force turnovers at the fifth-highest rate (23.2%).
On the other end of the floor, both schools are struggling to knock down outside shots. The Golden Eagles are 220th in the country in 3-point percentage (32.8%), while the Johnnies are 329th in 3PT% (30%), with that number dropping to an ugly 24.2% against Big East foes.
With BartTorvik and KenPom both projecting 140 total points in this game, take the Under 146.5.
Marquette vs St. John's same-game parlay (SGP)
Under 146.5
Zuby Ejiofor Over 8.5 rebounds
St. John's -2.5
One area where the Johnnies have a massive edge is on the glass, with St. John's 28th in Div 1 in rebounding rate (54%) and Marquette 233rd (48.8%). With both teams also playing a quick tempo, that should provide plenty of rebounding opportunities for St. John's big man Zuby Ejiofor who has eclipsed 8.5 boards in five of his last seven games.
With the Johnnies boasting a significant advantage on the boards, along with the better defense and home-court advantage, I'm leaning towards them on a short 3-point spread. Keep in mind that the Golden Eagles are 5-10 against the spread in their last 15 games, while St. John's is 13-8-1 ATS this season.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Marquette vs St. John's odds
Marquette vs St. John's live odds
Marquette vs St. John's opening odds
- Spread: Marquette +3 | St. John's -3
- Moneyline: Marquette +145 | St. John's -170
- Over/Under: Over 146.5 | Under 146.5
Odds courtesy of bet365.
Marquette vs St. John's betting trend to know
The Under is 7-1 in Marquette's last eight games away from home, with the only Over to cash during that span coming in overtime. Find more college basketball betting trends for Marquette vs. St. John's.
How to watch Marquette vs St. John's
| Location | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date | Tuesday, 2-4-2025 |
| Tip-off | 6:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | FS1 |
Marquette vs St. John's key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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