The St. John’s Red Storm will go up against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Madison Square Garden in what could be a statement game for both programs on Saturday. St. John’s enters off an impressive 108-74 home win over Quinnipiac, while Alabama opened with a 92-61 blowout of North Dakota. Before these teams face one another at the world's most famous arena, you can find my Alabama vs St. John's prediction below.
Pick: St. John’s −6.5
Confidence: ★★★★☆
St. John’s comes into this one riding strong momentum. They scorched Quinnipiac for 108 points, showing both efficiency from the field and a dominant rebounding edge. Alabama showed its offensive muscle in their opener against North Dakota, shooting over 50 % and cruising to a win. But this is the first real test for either of these teams this season.
St. John’s guard Dylan Darling is “50/50” to play with a calf strain and could miss this one, which would force others into larger roles. Alabama forward Keitenn Bristow (ankle) is doubtful. The Tide’s depth may already be tested, and on the road in a hostile venue, that could matter.
These teams lean on different styles of play to win games. St. John's likes to make things physical and win with their defense. Alabama likes to win by running and using their pace to create insurmountable totals on the scoreboard. Whichever team can impose their style on this game should win at MSG.
Score Projection: St. John’s 88 – Alabama 76
Win Probability: St. John’s 72%, Alabama 28%
I am high on this St. John's team, even after their disappointing showing in last year's NCAA Tournament. I'll lay the points with the Johnnies at their home away from home in Madison Square Garden here. The defense of the Red Storm should make the difference, as they will make things tougher on Alabama's offense than Alabama will make things on the St. John's offense.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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