Hatfield’s Prediction: Expect a high-scoring Big East basketball affair on Saturday.
Photo By – Imagn Images. Bryce Hopkins of the St. John’s Red Storm.
Big East foes will help welcome our Saturday of college basketball when St John’s Red Storm face the Providence Friars.
This will be a familiar opponent for a few people in particular. St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino spent two seasons here in the 1980s, while big man Bryce Hopkins has a much more recent history with the program.
Hopkins played for Providence for three years before transferring to the New York school this summer. These added elements should make this game particularly interesting.
I break it all down in my St. John’s vs. Providence predictions and college basketball picks for January 3.
Providence vs St. John’s prediction
Providence vs St. John’s best bet: Over 168.5 (-110)
Styles make fights and, in this clash, it should make points. The Over is my best bet in this spot, and it’s a number I projected just over 170.
One of the key questions when a college basketball total approaches the 170s is whether there will even be enough possessions to reach that number.
That shouldn’t be a concern here, as both teams have played at a Top 50 pace this year and are more than comfortable hitting the mid-70s per possession.
The St. John’s Red Storm is a transition team (1.3 points per possession on high volume), and they’re also elite on the glass. When they get rebounds, they score at an absurd clip of 1.4 points per possession in such situations. One of the best marks in the country.
That matters a lot against a Providence Friars defense that’s been vulnerable in those same scramble situations (1.20 PPP allowed). It’s also worth mentioning that the Friars have been below average on the defensive glass.
Another way to state this? There shouldn’t be many empty St. John’s possessions.
On the other side, Providence’s best offense also relies on pace and pressure. Transition is a significant part of their offense, and one of the Johnnies’ biggest issues this season has been their poor defense during transition.
If this turns into a Jaylin Sellers and Jason Edwards rim run game for Providence or a Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins second-chance game for St. John’s, the total can get dragged upward even if one team has an off shooting night.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account 
Providence vs St. John’s same-game parlay
I’ll take the Friars’ best transition scorer to have a strong game against a transition defense that has been poor for much of the season. In addition to the matchup, Edwards has thrived in high-possession games this season, exceeding this number in all but one game with 70 or more possessions.
Meanwhile, Ejiofor has been a gold mine for me, and he’ll see another below-average defensive rebounding team in this matchup.
Providence vs St. John’s SGP
- Over 168.5
- Jason Edwards Over 15.5 points
- Zuby Ejiofor Over 8.5 rebounds
Our beyond the arc SGP: The Zuby Show!
The Zuby show continues. Sixteen points is a bit light for one of the least physical front courts in the Big East, and, even aside from that, you could make the argument that he clears this line because of his offensive rebounding. I’ll take him to exceed 15 points to get things started.
I paired it with Bryce Hopkins to top his assists prop. He’s cleared it relatively easily in the past two games, and he usually contributes positively in big scoring outings for Ejiofor.
Providence vs St. John’s SGP
- Over 168.5
- Jason Edwards Over 15.5 points
- Zuby Ejiofor Over 8.5 rebounds
- Zuby Ejiofor Over 15.5 points
- Bryce Hopkins Over 2.5 assists
Providence vs St. John’s odds
- Spread: Providence +10.5 (-102) | St. John’s -10.5 (-120)
- Moneyline: Providence +530 | St. John’s -780
- Over/Under: Over 168.5 (-110) | Under 168.5 (-110)
Providence vs St. John’s betting trend to know
St. John’s has hit the moneyline in 29 of their last 35 games (+19.60 Units / 1% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Providence vs. St. John’s.
How to watch Providence vs St. John’s
| Location | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date | Saturday, January 3, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 12:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FOX |
Providence vs St. John’s key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.