The second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament continues on Sunday, and there are several closely contested matchups on the slate. In the late afternoon and early evening window, No. 5 seed St. John’s will take on No. 4 seed Kansas in the East region.
Despite being the lower seed, the Red Storm are 3.5-point favorites on PrizePicks Team Picks in a game that will tip off at 5:15 p.m. ET on CBS.
Below, we’ll break down our St. John’s vs. Kansas prediction on the spread 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 consecutive season under head coach Rick Pitino, the Red Storm are in the NCAA Tournament. St. John’s won the Big East regular-season title and also defeated UConn to win the Big East Tournament.
St. John’s closed out the season on a six-game winning streak, also featuring a win against Villanova. The Red Storm only lost two of their games during Big East play.
The Red Storm began their NCAA Tournament on a strong note with a 79-53 win against No. 12 seed Northern Iowa. St. John’s shot 47.0% from the field and was well-balanced offensively in the convincing win.
Meanwhile, Kansas finished in third place in the Big 12 regular-season standings. The Jayhawks did get off to a 9-2 start in Big 12 play before dropping four of their final seven games heading into the Big 12 Tournament.
The Jayhawks got the best of No. 13 seed California Baptist in a 68-60 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. Freshman phenom Darryn Peterson paced Kansas with 28 points on 11-of-24 shooting.
St. John’s and Kansas have only met on 14 occasions all-time, with the Jayhawks holding a 9-5 advantage. The two teams last faced off during the 2021-22 season, when Kansas recorded a 95-75 win on the road, covering in the process.
St. John’s vs. Kansas Spread, Over/Under
Kansas enters Sunday’s game as 3.5-point underdogs, returning a 2.43x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
St. John’s is favored with a 1.56x 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 (1.88x payout)
- Over/Under: 144.5 (1.92x payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: Red Storm 1.56x | Jayhawks 2.43x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
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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 the spread for Sunday, March 22, on PrizePicks.
- St. John’s has an 18-10- 1 against-the-spread record as a favorite. On the other hand, Kansas has an even 6-6 ATS record as an underdog.
- The Red Storm are 6-1 ATS over their last seven games.
- According to KenPom, St. John’s is the 15th-ranked team in the country with a +26.62 net rating. While Kansas is 21st nationally with a +24.38 net rating, the Jayhawks are just 58th in offensive rating (118.1). St. John’s ranks 40th (120.5).
- Per Bart Torvik, the Red Storm own the eighth-best adjusted defensive efficiency (93.6) in the nation.
- St. John’s senior F Zuby Ejiofor has recorded eight double-doubles, including tallying 14 points and 11 rebounds vs. Northern Iowa on Friday.
- The Red Storm has pulled down 38.8 rebounds per contest, 38th in the nation. St. John’s also led the Big East in that category.
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Make St. John’s vs. Kansas Picks on PrizePicks
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You can make your picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and 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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