The No. 11 Butler Bulldogs (12-1) visit St. John’s to take on the Red Storm (11-2) in a matchup that pits sensational offense against superb defense. The game begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 31, 2019.
Butler Bulldogs vs. St. John’s Red Storm Betting Prediction
In the Bulldogs’ last game, they blew out the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks, 67-36. The Bulldogs held the Warhawks to an effective field goal percentage of 0.258 (below their season average of 0.504). The Warhawks had a free throw rate of 0.083 (below their season average of 0.241). Butler was led by Bryce Nze, who had 10 points and seven rebounds.
The Red Storm barely escaped the No. 16 Arizona Wildcats in their last outing, 70-67. St. John’s’ turnover percentage was their largest strength over Arizona. The Red Storm had a rate of 9.7 (better than their season average of 14.8), while the Wildcats posted a mark of 17.3 (above their season average of 14.2). LJ Figueroa was St. John’s’ top scorer with 21 points on 8-for-20 shooting from the field.
Baskets could be hard to come by as a pair of the NCAA’s top defenses face off. St. John’s ranks 32nd in defensive efficiency (88.7) and Butler is sixth (83.7). Furthermore, the Bulldogs commit the 30th-fewest errors in the NCAA (turnover percentage of 16.6 percent), while the gambling defense of the Red Storm causes the 37th-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 23.8 percent).
After splitting two games last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Red Storm won the last game 77-73. The Red Storm had a much better turnover percentage (9.9 vs. 20.1) and had a much better free throw rate (0.234 vs. 0.134).
Butler Bulldogs at St. John’s Red Storm Odds Pick
Pick: ATS Winner – Butler, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
Butler ranks third in rebounds allowed per game (28.6) while St. John’s ranks 235th (38.9).
The Red Storm rank ninth in steals per game (9.9) while the Bulldogs rank 194th (5.2).
St. John’s ranks 14th in blocks per game (5.5) while Butler ranks 128th (2.7).
The Bulldogs rank 26th in assists allowed per game (10.0) while the Red Storm rank 125th (12.8).
Butler averages 19.5 three pointers per game, which ranks 213th in the NCAA. St. John’s ranks 221st in three pointers allowed per game (25.5).
The Bulldogs’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 15.6, down from 15.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Red Storm have scored an average of 77.2 points per game (2.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 66.4 points per game (0.4 below their season average).
