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St John's vs Duke Predictions
Liam Isola

St John's vs Duke Predictions - NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Picks & Odds 3/27

Our NCAAB expert offers his St John's vs Duke predictions, picks, and odds for a 7:10pm ET Sweet 16 game in Washington, D.C. (3/27).

Rick Pitino and St John’s can make their first Elite Eight since 1999 with a victory over a vulnerable Duke (-6.5) team tonight. The Johnnies will get physical and try to make this a slugfest that could come down to the last possession. St John’s +3.5 (+150) is an intriguing pick.

St John's vs Duke Predictions - 7:10pm ET - 3/27

  • Cameron Boozer Under 21.5 Points @ -105
  • Under 141.5 Points @ -110
  • St John’s +3.5 @ +150

All odds are courtesy of US Sportsbooks, correct at the time of publishing, and subject to change.

St John's vs Duke Odds

  • Spread: Duke -6.5 (-110)
  • Moneyline: St John’s (+230), Duke (-285)
  • Total: O/U 141.5 (-110)

St John's vs Duke Picks

St John’s to Blitz Boozer - Cameron Boozer Under 21.5 Points (-105)

Over his last three games, Duke star Cameron Boozer has hit just 14 of his 38 shots and averaged 18.0 points. This is the second consecutive tournament game in which St John’s is coming up against a dominant forward.

The Red Storm held Kansas’ Darryn Peterson to just 5-of-15 shooting last round. St John’s will send help into the paint to rattle Boozer and force him to pass out of the post. If Duke wins tonight, it will likely be because the Blue Devils hit their threes, not that Boozer dominated.

I like these odds on Boozer to go under 21.5 points, given that he’s done it just once over the previous three games. He only managed to go over in the comeback victory over Siena in the First Round due to 13 made free throws. That’s not a sustainable strategy.

  • St John's vs Duke Prediction 1: Cameron Boozer Under 21.5 Points @ -105

Defensive Dogfight in DC - Under 141.5 Points (-110)

This game features two top-ten defensive teams, and Duke ranks first in the country in adjusted defensive rating. St John’s will be banking on transition points, as the Red Storm has a middling half-court offense that Duke should be able to stop time and time again.

Meanwhile, St John’s has allowed just 56.7 points per game over its last three contests and plays with a ton of grit defensively. Duke hasn’t looked like the number one overall seed to this point, and could still be missing G Caleb Foster for this one.

Siena held Duke to 71 points in the First Round, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see this one turn into a low-scoring defensive dogfight. Go with under 141.5 points (-110), which has cashed in five of St John’s previous seven games and four of Duke’s past six.

  • St John's vs Duke Prediction 2: Under 141.5 Points @ -115

Close One at Capital One - St John’s +3.5 (+150)

Duke is on a 13-game winning streak, but you wouldn’t know it solely by watching them play during the NCAA Tournament. St John’s isn’t getting any respect with the 6.5-point line, given the Red Storm have lost only once since January 3rd.

St John’s has been an underdog three times since its early January loss to Providence and has won two of those games straight up. Rick Pitino’s Red Storm opened as 2.5-point underdogs in the Big East Tournament Final against UConn and proceeded to win by 20 points.

If Zuby Ejiofor keeps making things happen on both sides of the ball and gets help from the supporting cast, St John’s can make this one go down to the last possession. The Red Storm even have an outside shot to win tonight’s game. I’d put a few dollars on St John’s +3.5.

  • St John's vs Duke Prediction 3: St John’s +3.5 @ +150 with BetMGM

St John's vs Duke Start Time

  • Start Time: 7:10pm ET
  • Location: Capital One Arena
  • Address: 601 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004
  • TV & Streaming: CBS, Paramount+, Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV

Duke got Patrick Ngongba back ahead of its 81-58 win over TCU in the Round of 32. Still, the final score ended up flattering Duke, which hasn’t looked quite right so far in the tournament. Meanwhile, St John’s is playing with swagger and has lost only once since January 3rd.