St. John’s vs. Butler Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Wednesday, Feb. 28 (Back the Bulldogs)
A wardrobe change may have changed it all for St. John’s.
First-year head coach Rick Pitino’s last-minute search for an all-white suit brought in a Quad 1 victory for the Red Storm in Sunday’s 80-66 victory over No. 15 Creighton at Madison Square Garden. St. John’s won at “The Mecca," but can they do it on the road?
Butler is desperate heading into Wednesday’s tilt as Thad Matta’s Bulldogs are dangerously drifting off the NCAA Tournament bubble after four consecutive losses, three by double digits. Can the Bulldogs bounce back at home? Here’s the betting preview for Wednesday’s Big East battle with a best bet.
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St. John’s vs. Butler Odds, Spread and Total
St. John’s vs. Butler Betting Trends
- St. John’s is 13-15 ATS this season
- Butler is 12-15 ATS this season
- St. John’s is 5-5 ATS as an underdog this season
- Butler is 6-6 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 14-13-1 in St. John’s games this season
- The OVER is 13-12-2 in Butler games this season
St. John’s vs. Butler How to Watch
- Date: Wednesday, Feb. 28
- Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
- Venue: Hinkle Fieldhouse
- How to watch (TV): CBS Sports Network
- St. John’s record: 16-12 (8-9 Big East)
- Butler record: 16-12 (7-10 Big East)
St. John’s vs. Butler Key Players to Watch
St. John’s
Daniss Jenkins: The Iona transfer guard delivered when St. John’s needed it most on Sunday, pouring in a season-high 27 points on 12-of-18 shooting to help the Red Storm defeat Creighton. Jenkins has shot 17-of-26 from the field over the last two games and has dished out five or more assists in four of the last five games.
Butler
Jalen Thomas: Butler couldn’t get a shot to fall (38.9% from the field) in its 76-64 loss to Creighton Saturday, except for Thomas. The 6-foot-10 senior forward had a team-high 12 points and grabbed 7 rebounds over 30 minutes, going 5-of-7 from the field and making both 3-point attempts. Thomas is averaging 7.4 points per game this season but has scored in double figures in three of the last four games.
St. John’s vs. Butler Prediction and Pick
St. John’s may have picked up its biggest win of the season on Sunday, but the season still needs saving following a 2-8 stretch in Big East play. The Red Storm have lost five of their last six road games, and the one win in that span was against the lowly Georgetown Hoyas in a close one (90-85).
In its previous matchup way back on Jan. 2, St. John’s missed nine free throws, but shot 50% from the field to pull away from Butler, 86-70. Wednesday’s matchup won’t be in the compact Carnesecca Arena, though. It’s at the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse, a venue where St. John’s has gone just 2-8 in over its last 10 visits.
Butler is the more desperate team and has a one-day rest advantage while St. John’s struggles on the road and is coming off a huge win over a ranked opponent. With its back against the wall, Butler’s defense gets a reprieve against a St. John’s offense that is No. 233 in effective field goal percentage and 200th or worse in 3-point and 2-point shooting. Butler’s offense is No. 53 in turnover percentage and can handle St. John’s full-court pressure. Butler is also one of the best free-throw shooting teams in the nation (No. 12) and should get plenty of trips to the charity stripe as St. John’s struggles with foul trouble. Back the Bulldogs as small favorites.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.