Rick Pitino successfully put Saint John’s back on the map, leading the Red Storm to both regular season and Big East Tournament titles. Now the big test is underway, as the Johnnies land a No. 2 seed in the West. Let’s breakdown a future on Saint John’s.
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To Reach the Sweet 16: Saint John’s/Florida (-140)
I’ve been riding this Saint John’s team much of the season, and while that may come to an end with Florida in the same bracket, I’m certainly keeping my foot on the gas early in this tournament. The Red Storm got a solid draw early, sitting as 18.5-point favorites over Omaha in the first round, and a non-actionable -3600 on the moneyline. If we can comfortably but the Jonnies through to the second round, that leaves us with a far more competitive matchup against the winner of the Arkansas vs. Kansas matchup, which would take place on Saturday in Providence.
I actually took the points with Hogs in that game and think they have a real shot. While both teams have plenty of talent, the winner will also come with plenty of flaws. Arkansas is lacking experience, while Kansas just cannot get out of its own way anytime it leaves Allen Fieldhouse. Saint John’s is the complete opposite of both of these teams. Pitino has his squad playing insanely discipline basketball right now, and they’ve been practically allergic to “bad spots” all season. You’re always going to get elite effort from the Red Storm, and their defense is bound to give the Jayhawks or Razorbacks fits throughout their potential matchup.
Laying the -190 was a bit rich for me, so by pairing St. John’s with my pick to win it all to also reach the Sweet Sixteen, we buy this down to -140. That team would be the Florida Gators, who play Norfolk State, followed by the winner of UConn vs. Oklahoma — a game I believe the Gators will be favored by double-digits in. I expect these two teams to face off in the Elite Eight, but see strong value in pairing them to advance through the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
Sweet 16 Pick: Saint John’s/Florida (-140) 2-units
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment.
