IONA GAELS @ STJOHN

A Garden test for the ranked Red Storm

No. 13/14 St. John’s opens its regular-season schedule at Madison Square Garden after going 25-2 there over the past two seasons.

Iona’s defense has set an early tone

Through two games, Iona has held opponents to 31.9% from the field and 22.8% from three-point range.

Vanderhorst and Akametu lead Iona’s scoring

Through Iona’s first two games, Kevon Vanderhorst is averaging 18.5 points and Kosy Akametu 13.0.

St. John’s has several creators to monitor

In St. John’s opener, Keyshawn Hall led with 26 points and nine rebounds; Ian Jackson scored 15, and Quinn Ellis had seven assists.

Availability remains a St. John’s watch point

Donnie Freeman is expected to miss the season after Achilles surgery. Tounde Yessoufou played in the opener after a minor calf issue kept him out of two practices.

Pick Ideas

Angles drawn from the matchup analysis above and refreshed as the news changes. They are a separate read from the LineCrush pick for this matchup, so the two can land on different sides.

Don’t force a spread or total before lines appear

No posted sportsbook spread or total was identified, so wait for a line and compare prices rather than treating a prediction as a market number.

Be cautious with St. John’s moneyline at a short price

A prediction market priced St. John’s at roughly 96–97% to win, leaving little value at similarly expensive odds; avoid a standalone moneyline wager unless the offered price beats your fair estimate.