Two of the best programs, Alabama and St. John’s, face off in the biggest game of Saturday. This game also features two of the best coaches with Rick Pitino and Nate Oats. Both teams won their first game of the season by 29 points. In the first AP Poll of the season, Alabama is ranked No. 15 while St. John’s is No. 5.
This is the fifth all-time meeting between St. John’s and Alabama, with the series being tied 2-2. The last matchup between the two occurred in 1982. Here is my best bet for Saturday’s marquee matchup between Alabama and St. John’s.
Alabama vs. St. John’s (12:00 p.m. ET)
Rick Pitino led the Red Storm to their first NCAA Tournament since 2019, which was the program’s first second-round appearance since 2015. After being a No. 2 seed and coming up short, the expectations are sky-high for Pitino and St. John’s this season.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, St. John’s is a 5.5-point favorite while Alabama is a +240 underdog to win this game. The over/under for this game is 171.5 points, with the under being -112.
Zuby Ejofor is the lone member of Pitino’s rotation from last season’s team that has returned. St. John’s has added nine new players, including two freshmen and seven transfers from the transfer portal. They had the No. 1 best transfer class, according to 247sports. Ian Jackson, Dillon Mitchell, Bryce Hopkins, and Joson Sanon lead the way as the most notable pieces Pitino added in the offseason. This year’s Red Storm team might be all-around better than they were a season ago.
The Crimson Tide lost their top four scorers from last season, and although they bring in the No. 19 recruiting class, they don’t have enough talent to compete with the Red Storm. Saturday’s game is at Madison Square Garden, and St. John’s finished 12-0 at The World’s Most Famous Arena last season. The Red Storm won 10 of their 12 games by more than 5.5 points at MSG in the 2024-25 season.
