Providence Friars vs St. John's Red Storm Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 01/03/26

It’s a Big East showdown as the St. John’s Red Storm look to remain undefeated in conference play as they welcome the Providence Friars to Madison Square Garden. Providence is 0-2 in Big East play this season, and things won’t get much easier on Saturday as they try to slow down a high-powered Red Storm offense. According to KenPom, St. John’s is ranked 23rd in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and 26th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. As for Providence, they rank 42nd in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and 162nd in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency – a concerning mismatch in this spot against a St. John’s team that’s shooting 47.2% from the floor this season.  

The Friars last played on December 19th, falling to Seton Hall by five points while shooting just 39.6% from the floor. That’s worth noting, as Seton Hall plays a similar defensive style to St. John’s. The Red Storm, on the other hand, took care of business on New Year’s Eve against Georgetown, winning by 12 and shooting 50.0% from the floor. This is a large spread for St. John’s to cover, and they’ll need to play well defensively against a Providence team that’s shooting 48.2% from the floor this year. Providence has yet to win on the road, and this isn’t going to be an easy task against the Red Storm. I don’t expect St. John’s to have any issues running up the score against this Friars defense, and for that reason, I’m backing the Red Storm to cover the double-digit spread, making them my best bet of the day.

Providence vs St. John’s prediction: St. John’s -12.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.