#10 Arkansas vs #2 St. John’s: NCAA Basketball Odds & Best Bets

Two Hall of Fame coaches face off in the Round of 32 in Providence as John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks take on Rick Pitino and the St. John’s Red Storm. These two guys have gone head to head several times throughout their career, including both having stints at the University of Kentucky. Nevertheless, they lead their new teams into battle for a chance at an invite to the 2nd weekend of the tournament at stake.

After finishing just 8-10 in Coach Cal’s first year in Fayetteville, the Hogs won an SEC Tournament game in order to solidify their spot in the Big Dance. Calipari’s Crew took down the Kansas Jayhawks in the Round of 64, winning outright as a 5.5 point underdog. Can they do so again against the Red Storm?

The Johnnies handled business against the Omaha Mavericks, and now face a true foe after winning 10 straight. St. John’s has only lost four games by a combined 7 points this season, and now they get to showcase their talents on the national stage.

#10 Arkansas Razorbacks vs #2 St. John’s Red Storm: Round of 32

Coach Calipari and Arkansas face off against St. John’s in the Round of 32

Matchup Information – Arkansas vs St. John’s

• Venue & Location: Amica Mutual Pavilion (Providence, RI)
• Date: Saturday, March 22nd, 2025
• Tip Off: 2:40pm Eastern
• Broadcast: CBS

Betting Odds

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Spread

• Arkansas +7.5 (-115)
• St. John’s -7.5 (-105)

Money Line

• Arkansas +250
• St. John’s -300

Total

• Over 144.5 (-110)
• Under 144.5 (-110)

Pitino and St. John’s Look for Deep March Run

Can St. John’s beat Arkansas in the Round of 32?

The Johnnies just got their first NCAA Tournament win since 2000. This is the best team that school has had for a while, and there’s no need to waste the talent. They have multiple scoring options, as well as a ferocious defense that can stop anybody.

I think we see lots of back and forth in this game as both teams are incredibly fast. Both teams are Top 70 in possessions per game and are playing much faster as of recently. While the defenses are better than the offenses, I see the pace alone being enough for plenty of points in this game.

Arkansas has struggled to slow teams down, but they’ve made up for it by scoring plenty themselves. The Razorbacks are putting up just under 83 points per game over their last five contests. This is seven points higher than their season average of 76. Even though they haven’t faced the Johnnies’ defense, the SEC still has great competition. Despite the better defenses, I think offense rules this game.

#10 Arkansas Razorbacks vs #2 St. John’s Red Storm Best Bets

Kadary Richmond does it all for St. John’s

Arkansas vs St. John’s Prediction: St. John’s Wins & Covers, Over 143.5

Best Bets: Ark/St. John’s Over 144.5 (-110) BetOnline

Give me points! Like I said, the Hogs have been red hot offensively, and I think we see tons of back and forth. St. John’s jumps from 51st to 34th in possessions per game over their last 10, while the Hogs go from 67th to 29th. We might see a track meet in Providence to start our day.

St. John’s is great at grabbing offensive rebounds, they force plenty of turnovers that turn into easy buckets, and the Razorbacks are 12th in the country in FT Rate over the past 10 games. We should see enough second chances, free throws, and possessions in general to cover this number.

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