Duke Blue Devils vs St. John’s Red Storm: NCAA Sweet Sixteen Odds, Spread, and Total
No. 1 overall seed Duke has advanced to face No. 5-seeded St. John’s in the NCAA Tournament’s East Region semifinals on Friday at 7:10 p.m. EST. The Sweet 16 tipoff…
No. 1 overall seed Duke has advanced to face No. 5-seeded St. John's in the NCAA Tournament's East Region semifinals on Friday at 7:10 p.m. EST. The Sweet 16 tipoff in Washington, D.C. pits the Blue Devils against the Red Storm for the 25th time overall, but for only the fourth time in the NCAA tourney.
Duke is strongly favored to win by Las Vegas following a better effort on its second tournament date. Head coach Jon Scheyer's squad put defense first after the opening-round upset scare against Siena, holding TCU to only 33.3% from the field in an 81-58 clobbering last Saturday. Patrick Ngongba II played 13 encouraging minutes while Duke's incomparable 18-year-old forward Cameron Boozer led via another double-double.
It remains scary for Duke that St. John's is among the schools to knock the Blue Devils out in past Sweet Sixteen games, not to mention that this round has only minted a 10-7 record for Durham since 1999. St. John's arrives having conquered Kansas with a buzzer-beater to enhance the Red Storm's momentum.
Spread
- Blue Devils -6.5 (-108)
- Red Storm +6.5 (-101)
Money line
- Blue Devils -265
- Red Storm +240
Total
- Over 141 (-110)
- Under 141 (-110)
Note: The above data was collected on March 27, 2026, and may have changed since writing.
Duke Blue Devils vs St. John's Red Storm Betting Trends
- The Duke Blue Devils have won 13 straight games.
- St. John's is 7-1 against the spread in its last eight games.
- Duke is 10-7 in Sweet Sixteen contests since 1999.
Duke Blue Devils vs St. John's Red Storm Injury Reports
Duke Blue Devils
- Guard Caleb Foster is doubtful with a fractured foot.
- Center Patrick Ngongba II is probable with a foot injury.
St. John's Red Storm
- Guard Casper Pohto is out with a hip injury.
- Forward Imran Suljanovic is out with a knee injury.
Duke Blue Devils vs St. John's Red Storm Predictions and Picks
St. John's head coach Rick Pitino is in the “GOAT” conversation after coaxing the Red Storm into their first regional-semifinal bid of the 21st century. “(Pitino is) the greatest coach of all time,” gushed the ESPN contributor Sam Block on X after the Red Storm held off Kansas 67-65 last Sunday afternoon.
Pitino's transfer point guard Dylan Darling, whose buzzer-beating bucket was his only two points scored against KU, has distracted the media from the real story of the St. John's versus Kansas regional quarterfinal. Kansas labored to score points against a dynamic St. John's defensive strategy, which combined full-court pressing with excellent guarding around the rim. The Jayhawks finally broke through with a comeback in the second half's waning moments that nearly extended the No. 4 versus No. 5 showdown into overtime.
Duke can't afford to be too patient. The Blue Devils learned that against Siena. Point-total gamblers could be misled by how well Duke and St. John's are performing on defense, since if Scheyer decides to break the press aggressively with the Boozer brothers' speed and length, it could result in fireworks on Friday.
