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Northern Iowa (23-12) vs St. John’s (28-6)
- When: Mar 20 2026, 7:10 PM
- Where: Viejas Arena, San Diego, CA, USA
- Where to watch: CBS
(12) Northern Iowa vs (5) St. John’s Preview & Prediction
Spread: St. John’s -10.0
Moneyline: St. John’s (-550)
Total: 132.5
St. John’s Red Storm: Big East Bullies
So let’s get this straight. St. John’s wins the Big East, dominates the conference, goes 19-1 down the stretch… and gets a No. 5 seed. Makes perfect sense. Nothing screams respect like “here, go prove it again.”
Zuby Ejiofor is the engine, putting up 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while doing a little bit of everything. Bryce Hopkins adds scoring punch, and Oziyah Sellers is basically getting a home game in California, which is nice unless distractions come in the form of family dinners and Instagram stories.
This team can defend, score, and bully opponents when focused. But every March, there’s always that one moment where a favorite starts playing like they just discovered basketball yesterday. If St. John’s avoids that, they cruise.
Northern Iowa Panthers: Cinderella Tease Mode
Ah yes, the classic 12-seed. The team everyone pretends they believed in after the upset actually happens.
Northern Iowa comes in hot after winning four straight in their conference tournament, including an 84-69 beatdown where they shot over 63 percent. Trey Campbell leads the charge with 13.7 points and 3.9 assists, while Ben Schwieger and Tristan Smith provide solid support.
They have experience traveling, they can shoot, and they’re confident. Translation for bettors: just dangerous enough to ruin your bracket and your bankroll at the same time.
But let’s not get carried away. This is still a team that finished sixth in its conference. Cinderella stories are great, but sometimes Cinderella just turns back into a pumpkin by halftime.
LVSB Prediction
The line says St. John’s by 10, and honestly, that feels about right unless chaos decides to show up early.
Northern Iowa will hang around just long enough to make you uncomfortable, maybe even convince you they’re “live.” Then reality hits.
St. John’s wins. Lean toward the favorite covering and the game going over, with scoring pushing past the total.
Final Score: St. John’s 74, Northern Iowa 62
Lean: St. John’s -10.0
Total: Over 132.5
- NCAAB Odds source: Bovada Sportsbook
