Michigan vs St. John's Odds
| Michigan Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -105 | 155.5 -110o / -110u | +120 |
| St. John's Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -115 | 155.5 -110o / -110u | -145 |
Kicking off the 2023 Gavitt Games, we have a doozy of a matchup at Madison Square Garden. The Michigan Wolverines will travel to the World's Most Famous Arena and take on the St. John's Red Storm.
We are officially in the post-Hunter Dickinson era, but Michigan still has plenty of star power and depth in the frontcourt.
St. John's new head coach Rick Pitino will get his first real test, as he stated in his pregame presser on Friday that his team will "have to play a lot better" in this game.
This should be a great matchup with a ton of back-and-forth play, so let's waste no further time with Michigan vs. St. John's odds and a pick, including a college basketball betting guide for Monday, Nov. 13.
Michigan Wolverines
The Wolverines have a lot of talent on this roster, perhaps even more talent than last season's squad. What I really like is their balance on both ends of the court, as this is a team that should be able to exploit you in multiple ways on offense.
Sophomore guard Dug McDaniel had 16 points in the Wolverines' victory over Youngstown State, and he'll be leading this offense all season long. Forwards Terrance Williams II and Olivier Nkamhoua provide an excellent presence in the frontcourt, and they should give the Johnnies fits on the inside.
Tarris Reed Jr. returns for the Wolverines, and he should play 30 minutes a night alongside Williams and Nkamhoua. He doesn't have the offensive touch like Dickinson, but his physicality and rebounding ability will be a consistent factor.
In a small sample size of two games, the Wolverines have done a lot of damage offensively. Notably, they're shooting 40% from 3-point land and 64% inside of the arc.
It's very early on, but if the Wolverines are able to be efficient offensively and protect the basketball — as they have — I have a hard time believing the Johnnies can slow down this offense.
Considering there has been a lack of turnovers forced by this defense, I expect them to dictate the tempo and wouldn't be surprised to see a back-and-forth affair.
St. John's Red Storm
It's no surprise that the Johnnies were busy in the transfer portal once they hired Pitino. This is the sixth-most experienced team in the entire nation, which is why many believe Pitino can lead this team back to the NCAA tournament.
The Johnnies have only played one game thus far this season, and they took care of business against Stony Brook, 90-74. Shooting 50% from 3 is impressive, but I wouldn't expect the same results in this matchup.
A big key for this game will be the Johnnies' ability to crash the offensive glass against this Michigan frontcourt. They have the size to keep up with the Wolverines, so it'll be interesting to see how the matchups play out in the paint.
The tandem of Daniss Jenkins and Joel Soriano provide a terrific offensive 1-2 punch. They'll have their hands full in this matchup, but I expect them to be able to keep up offensively.
This should be an excellent free-throw shooting team, and the Johnnies put that on display in their first game, shooting 91% from the charity stripe. If the Wolverines get a bit foul happy, the Johnnies should be able to add some free points to the scoreboard.
I worry about this team defensively, as they allowed a ton of offensive rebounds and didn't force many turnovers in their first game of the year. I realize it's only one game, but that was against Stony Brook.
The Red Storm have the ability to keep pace with the Wolverines, but their defensive issues are a bit concerning heading into this matchup.
Michigan vs. St. John's
Betting Pick & Prediction
This should be a really close contest, so it's tough to pick a particular side in this game. That's why I feel much more comfortable taking an over in this game.
Both of these teams should find plenty of offensive success, and I like that both teams can take care of business at the free-throw line.
I don't really trust this Johnnies defense, but offensively, they're more than capable of scoring at will.
We still don't have much data on these two teams, but KenPom makes this total around 153, so I will be targeting that number. Let's kick off the Gavitt Games with a winner.
Pick: Over 154.5 (Play to 155)
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