It’s a battle between two of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time, as the No. 5 St. John’s Red Storm clash with the No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks in the NCAA Tournament.
The second-round matchup sees the Johnnies favored by 3.5 points despite being the lower seed. Can Kansas defy the odds in Sunday’s 5:15 p.m. ET game on CBS?
Below, we’ll break down our St. John’s vs. Kansas prediction and picks for Sunday’s game. Make your college basketball picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
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St. John’s vs. Kansas Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
For the second year in a row, head coach Rick Pitino’s St. John’s crew finds itself in the second round of the tourney. A 31-5 effort a season ago ended in heartbreak in the Round of 32, and everything to this point has been focused on avoiding a similar outcome.
The Red Storm are 29-6 in the 2025-26 campaign, including a 79-53 blowout triumph over Northern Iowa on Friday. Backed by Pitino’s legendary resume and fire, the Johnnies have the star power to get the job done.
Kansas, meanwhile, was bounced in the first round of the last NCAA Tournament. This year, they’re 24-10 and won 12 games in Big 12 play. Their first-round performance against Cal Baptist featured an eight-point win, although a poor start and finish overshadowed a dominant mid-game groove.
Head coach Bill Self’s crew has alternated between elite and underwhelming play all season long. To upset the Red Storm, a complete game may be required.
Dating back to 1949-50, St. John’s and Kansas have met 14 times. The Jayhawks own a solid 9-5 series lead, including an average margin of victory of 2.2 points.
St. John’s vs. Kansas Spread, Over/Under
St. John’s enters Sunday’s game as 3.5-point favorites, returning a 1.56x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
Kansas is an underdog with a 2.38x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 35 states.
- Spread: St. John’s Red Storm -3.5 (1.92x payout)
- Over/Under: 144.5 (1.88x payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: Red Storm 1.56x | Jayhawks 2.38x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
🔥 Get College Basketball Predictions and Picks from the experts for the NCAA Tournament
St. John’s vs. Kansas Prediction on Spread – 3/22/26
Here are the key stats to know before locking in your St. John’s vs. Kansas prediction on spread for Sunday, March 22 on PrizePicks.
- As favorites this season, St. John’s has an 18-10-1 record against the spread. Kansas has fared fine as an underdog, going 6-6 ATS.
- According to KenPom, the Red Storm are 14th in net rating at +26.61. Kansas isn’t too far behind at +24.37, good for 21st. With that said, KU’s strength of schedule net rating of +16.56 is the toughest in the nation.
- Per EvanMiya, St. John’s has a higher relative rating (26.3) than Kansas (21.8), also holding a +2.9 advantage on offense and a +1.5 one on defense.
- Both teams are elite stoppers, with St. John’s ranking eighth in adjusted defensive efficiency and Kansas being 10th, per Bart Torvik.
- Whoever takes care of the ball better could emerge with a victory in this one. The Red Storm sit 45th nationally with a 14.6% turnover rate on offense, and the Jayhawks’ 13.9% forced turnover clip on defense is 339th.
St. John’s vs. Kansas Picks for PrizePicks Today: 3/22/26
Here are three top St. John’s vs. Kansas picks to target for Sunday, March 22 on PrizePicks. Player stat projections via PrizePicks are headlined by F Zuby Ejiofor, G Darryn Peterson, and F Flory Bidunga.
St. John’s F Zuby Ejiofor vs. Kansas Projection: 25.5 Pts + Rebs
- Heading into a potential revenge game against Kansas, Ejiofor averages 23.6 combined points and rebounds per game.
- During the seven-game winning streak for St. John’s, the senior has raised his points and rebounds ledger to 27.0. He’s shooting 60.5% from the field in that span.
- Ejiofor leads the Big East in overall win shares (6.3), offensive win shares (3.8), and points produced (592).
- The Jayhawks sit 298th nationally at 36.8 rebounds per game, slotting in at 238th and 328th in defensive and offensive boards allowed, respectively.
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Kansas G Darryn Peterson vs. St. John’s Projection: 23 Points
- Peterson averages 20.1 PPG and has gone for 24+ points in four of his last six outings.
- After missing his first six shots against Cal Baptist, Peterson went 11-for-18 and finished with 28 total points.
- Via Bart Torvik, out of 60 players with a usage rate of 30% or higher, Peterson’s 115.0 offensive rating is 11th.
- The Red Storm cede 59.5 shot attempts each contest, ranking just 244th in the country.
Kansas F Flory Bidunga vs. St. John’s Projection: 19.5 Pts + Rebs
- On the year, Bidunga pours in 22.4 points and rebounds every game. That number is 19.6 across his last five.
- St. John’s allows a 42.9% share of made shots on close-2s, which is an area where Bidunga could feast on offense.
- Against top-50 quality opponents, the sophomore big man maintains an 11.3% offensive rebounding rate and 17.2% defensive rebounding clip.
- The Johnnies’ adjusted tempo of 69.6 is 69th in the country and could lead to more chances for Bidunga to fill up the stat sheet. KU is 158th at 67.8.
Make St. John’s vs. Kansas Picks on PrizePicks
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