NCAAB St. John’s vs Connecticut Predictions, How To Watch and Best Bets

Written By Dan Angell | Published at February 25, 2026

March Madness betting promos — A official holds a ball during the first half of a game between Houston and Brigham Young in the semifinal round of the Big 12 Conference tournament Friday in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP photo / Charlie Riedel)

For the past few seasons, Connecticut has been the top program in the Big East. But the Huskies now have real competition, as Rick Pitino has rebuilt St. John’s into a national power. The Red Storm now have a chance to record the best season by record in Big East history, if they can get past the Huskies again.

However, St. John’s vs. Connecticut, part two, should prevent a much tougher task for the Red Storm.

The whistles made a big difference in the first meeting, as St. John’s got to the free throw line 31 times to Connecticut’s 12. The Red Storm make a living getting to the foul line, but that’s a lot harder to do on the road.

Connecticut also seems more locked in on defense now. The Huskies looked like they were sleepwalking through the schedule, but losses to St. John’s and Creighton got their attention. They’re looking much more like a contender now.

Here’s a look at this crucial Big East matchup.

St. John’s vs. Connecticut Prediction

Best Bet: Connecticut -5.5 (-110, via FanDuel)

The Red Storm have won three in a row in this matchup, which means they’re getting the Huskies’ full attention in this game. Even though St. John’s has played very well for months, the Red Storm’s best probably isn’t good enough to beat Connecticut’s best.

The biggest concern for Connecticut is if the Huskies can avoid giving up cheap fouls. St. John’s loves to push the tempo, which often makes teams make mistakes as they play faster than they want. But Connecticut excels at getting teams out of their game plan and making them find another solution.

The Huskies just did that to Villanova. Of the Wildcats’ past eight games, they’ve failed to break 70 points twice: Connecticut and Connecticut. When the Huskies’ defense is playing the way Dan Hurley wants, they’re difficult to beat.

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St. John’s vs. Connecticut Same Game Parlay

Connecticut -5.5

Under 146.5

Zuby Ejiofor Under 16.5 Points

If Connecticut is going to win this game, it has to keep Ejiofor from taking over the game. Last time, Ejiofor scored 21 points because he got 10 attempts to go to the line on top of six made baskets, and the Huskies are likely to be focused on not letting him beat them again.

Ejiofor did not shoot the ball well against Marquette, and he’s gone under his number in three consecutive games. St. John’s won all of them, which speaks to the true team that Pitino has constructed. The Red Storm clearly won’t force things to Ejiofor if Connecticut looks to stop him, making the under the right play.