Northern Iowa vs St. John’s Prediction 3/20/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The St. John’s Red Storm and the Northern Iowa Panthers will meet on Friday night in a first Round NCAA Tournament matchup at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California.

St. John’s Red Storm Betting Preview

The St. John’s Red Storm enter Friday’s contest with a 28–6 win-loss record, including an 18-2 mark in conference play and a 9–1 record on the road. The Red Storm have compiled wins over DePaul, Iona and Mississippi, while dropping games to Auburn, Iowa State and the Kentucky Wildcats.

The St. John’s Red Storm average 81.6 points (40th in nation) on 45.4 percent shooting from the field and 33.2 percent shooting from three-point range per game. Shifting our focus to the defensive side of the basketball, the St. John’s Red Storm are allowing opponents 70 points per contest which ranks 60th in the country.

Senior forward Brady Hopkins leads the St. John’s Red Storm averaging 13.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.1 steals on 44.1 percent shooting from the field per game. Senior forward Zuby Ejiofor contributes 15.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 blocks per contest providing the Red Storm with a quality interior presence. Sophomore guard Ian Jackson provides St. John’s with further backcourt stability averaging 10.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1 steal per game.

Northern Iowa Panthers Betting Preview

The Northern Iowa Panthers arrive at Friday’s contest with a 23-12 record, including an 11-9 record in conference play and a 6-6 record on the road. The Panthers have earned wins over Oakland, UC Irvine, South Dakota State and the Northern Illinois Huskies, while losing games to Colorado State, Western Kentucky and the DePaul Blue Demons.

Earlier this season, in Northern Arizona’s 58-48 win over Valparaiso, Northern Iowa forward Will Hornseth compiled 16 points (7 of 12 shooting from the field), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocks showcasing his ability to lead the Northern Iowa frontcourt.

The Northern Iowa Panthers average 69.1 points on 47.3 percent shooting from the field and 34.9 percent from three-point range per game. Defensively, the Panthers are allowing opponents 62.1 points per contest which ranks first in the nation.

Senior guard Trey Campbell leads the Northern Iowa Panthers backcourt averaging 13.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Junior forward Leon Bond III provides the Panthers with interior scoring and rebounding, contributing 11.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1 block per contest.

Why the St. John’s Red Storm Will Win

• Elite conference performance. The St. John’s Red Storm compiled a rather impressive 18–2 record in Big East conference play this season.

• Momentum. The St. John’s Red Storm arrive at tomorrow’s contest on the heels of a six-game winning streak.  

• Offensive advantage. The St. John’s Red Storm average 81.6 points (40th in nation) on 45.4 percent shooting from the field and 33.2 percent shooting from three-point range per game.

Why the Northern Iowa Panthers Will Win

• Defensive consistency. The Northern Iowa Panthers are allowing opponents 62.1 points per contest which ranks first in the nation.

• Efficient guard play. Senior guard Trey Campbell leads the Northern Iowa Panthers backcourt averaging 13.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

St. John’s vs. Northern Iowa Prediction

In my view, St. John’s overall physicality and athleticism force Northern Iowa into a style of play that is not conducive to the Panthers ability to succeed in this contest. St. John’s ability to control game pace and quality frontcourt play should be the difference in this one. I like the Red Storm to pull away in the second half and win this game rather easily. For the reasons just noted, I am backing the St. John’s Red Storm to cover the 8.5 points in this game.

Hans Geevers's Pick: St. John's -8.5