A fascinating March Madness matchup awaits on Saturday when St. John’s takes on Arkansas. The second-seeded Red Storm are in the midst of a miracle season, winning their first Big East title in over 30 years. The tenth-seeded Razorbacks have been inconsistent, but there’s plenty of talent on their roster. There’s added intrigue in this one, as head coaches Rick Pitino and John Calipari have both led Kentucky to a national title.
As of Friday night, the Johnnies entered this one as 6.5-point favorites, with the over/under set at 144.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Betting Splits
Surprisingly, the moneyline handle is a perfect 50/50 split. However, 83% of all bets have been placed with St. John’s. That means plenty of sharp money is being laid with Arkansas. Following their impressive win over Kansas on Thursday, the Razorbacks appear to be a trendy underdog for many bettors.
The spread is a far different story, with nearly 90% of all cash being laid with the Red Storm. Total bets aren’t much different, as just 34% have been placed with the Hogs. This season, Arkansas is 8-7 against the spread as an underdog; St. John’s is 19-11-1 as a favorite.
St. John’s possesses arguably the best defense in college basketball, holding teams to the 29th-fewest points per game (65.5). The same can’t be said for Arkansas, who allow the 157th-fewest points per game to opponents (71.2). Therefore, it’s no surprise the public is expecting over 144 points in this contest. Only 28% of the handle and 21% of all bets are backing the under.
Most Popular Player Props
Here are the four player props in tonight’s matchup receiving the most bets:
- RJ Luis 2+ three-pointers made (-145)
- RJ Luis 18+ points (-195)
- Zuby Ejiofor 3+ assists (+155)
- Johnell Davis 2+ three-pointers made (-130)
The public is all over RJ Luis as a scorer tonight. The Big East Player of the Year leads St. John’s with 18.5 points per game this season. In six of his last seven games, the forward has recorded at least 20 points and two three-pointers. Elsewhere, the public surprisingly likes Zuby Ejiofor as a passer. St. John’s’ big man is known more for his rebounding and scoring inside the paint. However, he has notched at least three dimes over his last three outings.
For Arkansas, Johnell Davis is generating some buzz from the betting public. This season, the guard is shooting just 32.9% on 5.0 attempts per game from three-point range. However, he has knocked down two or more shots from deep in three of his last five outings. In addition, Davis has plenty of March Madness experience from his time as a member of Florida Atlantic.
