Villanova at St. John's College Basketball Game Picks 2/17/2019

Sunday, February 17, 2019

Madison Square Garden

Get todays College basketball odds and lines on this game.

The Villanova Wildcats head to Madison Square Garden to take on the St. John's Red Storm on Sunday, February 17, 2019. The opening line for this game has Villanova as 1.5 point favorites.

Villanova heads into this matchup with a mark of 20-5. They currently have a point differential of 9.6 as they are averaging 76.2 points per contest while giving up 66.6 per game. St. John's has an overall record of 18-7. They are averaging 79.6 points per game and surrendering 73.5, good for a point differential of 6.1.

Valuable Villanova Wildcats Betting Trends

The Villanova Wildcats are 17-8-0 against the spread this season

The Villanova Wildcats are 9-15-1 against the over/under this year

Important St. John's Red Storm Betting Trends

The St. John's Red Storm are 10-13-2 against the spread this season

The St. John's Red Storm are 13-11-1 against the over/under this year

Key Villanova Wildcats Injuries

01/19/19 F Cole Swider Hand is out indefinitely

Key St. John's Red Storm Injuries

01/03/19 G Mikey Dixon Transferred has left team

Player Spotlight

Phil Booth comes into this game averaging 18.5 points per contest while playing 34.8 minutes per night this year. He grabs 3.7 rebounds per contest and distributes 3.9 assists per game. His FG percentage is 48% while his free throw percentage is 72%. Eric Paschall averages 17.6 points per contest in 35.4 minutes per game. He averages 2.0 assists per game and 6.1 rebounds per contest. His field goal percentage is 47% for the season while his free throw percentage is 76%.

Player Spotlight

Shamorie Ponds scores 20.5 points per contest while playing 35.1 minutes per game. He hauls in 4.7 rebounds per contest and has 5.3 assists per game on the season. His FG percentage is 48% and his free throw percentage is at 83%. Mustapha Heron averages 15.6 points per game this year and he sees the court an average of 32.3 minutes per game. He also brings in 4.9 rebounds per game and has 1.5 assists per contest. His field goal percentage is 46% and his free throw percentage is 77%.

Useful Team Statistics

Villanova averages 76.2 points per contest, which is 98th in D-1. Their average scoring margin is 9.6 and their shooting percentage is 46% as a unit, which has them ranked 131st. From 3-point territory they shoot 36%, which is good for 80th in the nation. They average 35.3 boards per contest and 14.3 assists per game, which ranks them 198th and 112th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they are 319th with 11.2 per game. The Wildcats allow 66.6 points per contest, which is 55th in the NCAA. They also surrender a 44% shooting percentage and a 34% average from 3-point range, ranking them 167th and 150th in defensive field goal percentage. Opponents average 32.2 rebounds a game which ranks 52nd, and they allow 13.3 assists per game which puts them in 202nd place in the country. They force 12.2 turnovers per game which ranks them 78th in Division 1.

Useful Team Statistics

St. John's is 41st in the nation with 79.6 points per contest this season. They are 81st in the country in shooting at 46%, while their average scoring margin is 6.1. They shoot 37% from beyond the arc, which is good for 59th in the NCAA. They are 266th in D-1 in rebounding with 33.8 boards per contest and 86th in assists per game with 14.7. The Red Storm are 329th in turnovers per contest with 10.8. The Red Storm give up 73.5 points per game, which ranks them 233rd in Division 1. Their defense surrenders a 43% shooting percentage and a 34% average from behind the 3-point line, ranking them 115th and 134th in those defensive statistics. They rank 217th with 13.5 dimes allowed per game and 316th with 38.2 boards surrendered per contest. The Red Storm are 308th in the nation in forcing turnovers with 15.4 per contest this year.

Advanced Statistics

The Wildcats are 13th in the nation in offensive rating with 115.2. In terms of pace they are 333rd in the country with 65.5 possessions per 40 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 55% is 34th. As a team they are 28th in college basketball in true shooting percentage with 58% and they shoot 3-pointers on 53% of their shots, ranking 2nd in Division 1. Villanova is 307th in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 14.5 times per 100 possessions.

Advanced Statistics

St. John's is 334th in the country in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 13.3 times per 100 possessions. The Red Storm have an offensive rating of 107.5, which is ranked 91st. They are 48th in D-1 in pace with 73 possessions per 40 minutes, and their eFG% of 54% is 76th. As a unit they are 81st in college basketball in true shooting percentage with 56% and they shoot 3-pointers on 39% of their shot attempts, ranking 156th in the country.

Who will win tonight's Villanova/St. John's college basketball game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take Villanova -1.5

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