NCAAB odds, pick: Seton Hall vs. St. John’s betting preview for Sunday, Feb. 18

Seton Hall vs St. John's Odds

Sunday, Feb. 18, 5 p.m. ET, FS1

Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NCAAB odds here.

Seton Hall Pirates

The Pirates dominated the Johnnies in their previous encounter, winning by 15 on January 16. However, the Pirates' recent form has been shaky; they've lost four of their last six games before their victory over Xavier.

They're currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the NCAA tournament.

The Pirates possess a top-75 ranking in both offensive and defensive efficiency.

While their offense is struggling — particularly from long range (32%) — they excel in generating second-chance points.

Kadary Richmond is the glue guy for the Pirates, and he's positively impacted them on both sides of the ball.

The Pirates are also excellent at free-throw shooting, converting 78% of their attempts. This could prove critical against the over-aggressive Johnnies defense, which could concede many free throws.

The Pirates' success will depend on their performance from beyond the arc and their ability to contain the Johnnies. St. John's strength is its offense, but its inability to score inside could work in the Pirates' favor.

St. John's Red Storm

To defeat the Pirates, the Johnnies must improve their solid offensive game. Although they rank 36th in adjusted offensive efficiency, they shoot only 50% from the field.

However, the team is solid on the offensive glass, ranking fifth in that category.

While the Johnnies struggle at the charity stripe and only get to the line sometimes, the team has good balance, ranking 55th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency while doing an excellent job of forcing turnovers.

Since the Johnnies like to play up-tempo, they must use this to their advantage. However, the Johnnies could be a better defensive rebounding team, meaning the Pirates will have many second-chance scoring opportunities.

The game is expected to be close and contested, but Johnnies' 3-point shooting will make the difference. The team is shooting 33% from beyond the arc, as Daniss Jenkins and Jordan Dingle can significantly impact the game. The Pirates' perimeter defense has been vulnerable throughout the year.

Also, Rick Pitino knows how vital the matchup is for their NCAA tournament lives, so expect the Johnnies to empty the tank at UBS arena.

Seton Hall vs. St. John's

Betting Pick & Prediction

Both of these teams are evenly matched, so the contest is expected to come down to the wire. They're also excellent at offensive rebounding, which is why I like the under.

These offenses are vulnerable to going through scoring droughts, and with offensive rebounding playing a factor, it will correlate to extra time burning off of the clock.

The Johnnies and Pirates struggle from 3, and I don't expect a lot of attempts from that area either.

The Johnnies like to run up-tempo on offense, but the Pirates are strong enough on the defensive end of the floor to slow them down. The Pirates must avoid getting into foul trouble early, as the Johnnies will make them pay from the free-throw line.

Both teams are excellent defensively on the interior. There's no reason to believe these two teams will light the scoreboard up on Sunday.

Pick: Under 144.5 (Play to 143)