The Round of 16 in the 2026 NCAA Tournament continues on Friday, March 27, with four more exciting games on the schedule. No. 1 seed Duke will face off against No. 5 seed St. John’s in an East regional matchup in Washington, D.C.
The Blue Devils are 6.5-point favorites on PrizePicks Team Picks in Friday’s matchup that tips off at 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS. The winner of this showdown will advance to the Round of 8 on Sunday.
Below, we’ll break down our St. John’s vs. Duke prediction and picks for Friday night’s game. Make your college basketball picks on PrizePicks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
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St. John’s vs. Duke Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
Duke has looked like a juggernaut throughout the majority of the season. In fact, this is a group that hasn’t lost since February 7, when it fell to North Carolina in a narrow 71-68 defeat in Chapel Hill.
The Blue Devils may have won an ACC Tournament title to cement their status as a No. 1 seed, but they did struggle in their NCAA Tournament first-round matchup against No. 16 seed Siena. The Saints held an 11-point advantage at halftime before Duke ultimately earned a 71-65 win.
Duke wasn’t leaving anything to chance against No. 9 seed TCU, where they outscored the Horned Frogs 43-24 in the second half en route to an 81-58 win. In that game, Duke got C Patrick Ngongba II back from injury. It could also regain the services of starting PG Caleb Foster for Friday’s game.
According to Duke head coach Jon Scheyer, Foster is a game-time decision after missing the last five games due to a fractured foot.
St. John’s is in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season under head coach Rick Pitino. The Red Storm are currently riding an eight-game winning streak after winning the Big East Tournament title and their opening two contests in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
St. John’s jumped all over No. 15 seed Northern Iowa and coasted to a 79-53 win in the first round. In the Round of 32, No. 4 seed Kansas rallied in the second half to tie the game and looked poised to force overtime. Instead, Red Storm G Dylan Darling made his only shot on a game-winning layup as time expired.
Duke and St. John’s have met on 24 occasions, with Duke owning a 17-7 advantage in the all-time series. The Blue Devils won the most recent meeting in 2019 by a 91-61 decision at home, covering a 17.0-point spread as favorites.
St. John’s vs. Duke Spread, Over/Under
Duke enters Friday’s game as 6.5-point favorites, with a 1.35x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win.
St. John’s is the underdog with a 3.22x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 35 states.
- Spread: Duke Blue Devils -6.5 (1.88x payout)
- Over/Under: 139.5 (1.78x payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: St. John’s 3.22x | Duke 1.35x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
St. John’s vs. Duke Prediction on Spread – 3/27/26
Here are the key stats to know before locking in your NCAA Tournament St. John’s vs. Duke college basketball prediction on the spread for Friday, March 27 on PrizePicks.
- St. John’s has a 3-1 against-the-spread record as an underdog, producing a 75.0% cover rate (tied for first in the Big East).
- Duke is 18-16 ATS as a favorite but is 2-4 ATS in its last six games.
- The Red Storm are 5-1 ATS in their last six games.
- According to Bart Torvik, Duke has the top-ranked adjusted defensive efficiency (91.7). However, St. John’s isn’t too far behind at seventh (93.5).
- The Red Storm have held their opponents to just 31.2% shooting from deep. Duke is shooting just 34.6% from beyond the arc (11th in the ACC).
- St. John’s averages 38.8 rebounds per game, which sits 39th in the nation.
- The Red Storm have averaged 81.1 PPG (second in the Big East), while the Blue Devils have averaged 81.9 (fourth in the ACC).
St. John’s vs. Duke Picks for PrizePicks Today: 3/27/26
Here are the top two St. John’s vs. Duke picks to target for Friday, March 27. Today’s college basketball picks for PrizePicks are headlined by Duke F Cameron Boozer and St. John’s F Zuby Ejiofor.
Duke F Cameron Boozer vs. St. John’s Projection: 32.5 Pts + Rebs
- Boozer has averaged a combined 32.5 points and rebounds in two NCAA Tournament games. The Duke star also owns the same average across his last 10 outings.
- The Duke forward has scored 20+ points in six of his last 10 games, including a 22-point performance vs. Siena.
- Boozer has secured at least 10 rebounds in seven of his last 10 contests.
- The Blue Devils freshman phenom is shooting 39.8% from deep, which ranks second on the team behind Foster (40.2%).
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St. John’s F Zuby Ejiofor vs. Duke Projection: 26.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Ejiofor has averaged a combined 29.0 points, rebounds, and assists in two NCAA Tournament games.
- The St. John’s leading scorer has also produced 27.9 points, rebounds, and assists in his last 10 contests.
- Ejiofor is shooting 57.7% from the field across his last 10 games and has scored at least 18 points in six of those.
- The Red Storm star has pulled down at least nine rebounds in four of his last five games, including in both NCAA Tournament contests.
Make St. John’s vs. Duke Picks on PrizePicks
Can Duke impose its will as the top seed in the East region, or will St. John’s be the second team to take down a No. 1 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament? The two schools will soon battle it out in one of the more polarizing games of the Round of 16.
You can make your St. John’s vs. Duke picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
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