Picks for 12/16/25
College Basketball
7:00 PM EST
Rotation # 606
St. John’s -19.5 over DePaul (loss)
DePaul has struggled in conference play the last few seasons. Two years ago, they went winless in the BIG East. The Blue Demons have improved under head coach Chris Holtmann, but I don’t think they are ready to compete with top-25 teams anytime soon. St. John’s has the superior coach in Rick Pitino and has the more talented roster. The Red Storm is a great offensive and defensive team and can score buckets in a hurry with the tempo they play at. DePaul doesn’t have the offense, nor have they been challenged in their early schedule, to be ready for a road challenge like this. St. John’s is looking to start conference play with a big win on their home floor. The Red Storm forwards are outstanding and will be hard to guard. Zuby Ejiofor is the best big man on the court. St. John’s did an exceptional job in the transfer portal, grabbing guards like Dillon Mitchell, Bryce Hopkins, and Oziyah Sellers. Tonight’s game comes down to one team having superior talent, and over 40 minutes, it should be enough to win convincingly. Take St. John’s.