Alabama Crimson Tide vs. St. John's Red Storm, Preview, Odds, Prediction and Picks for Saturday, November 8, 2025
A pair of ranked teams set the tone in New York City on Saturday afternoon, so check our Alabama vs. St. John’s prediction out before things get rolling early. The No. 15 Crimson Tide (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) beat up on North Dakota on Monday, 91-62, as -35.5 favorites at home. The No. 5 Red Storm (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) smoked Quinnipiac, 108-74, as -26.5 favorites in Monday’s season opener. Tipoff from Madison Square Garden is scheduled for Noon EST and if you need some buzzer-beaters, our College Basketball Picks are game winners!
Alabama vs. St. John's Matchup
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Alabama ready to be most offensive again
The Crimson Tide are on a run of five straight NCAA Tournament appearances, though now they are looking for much more than just an invite. The top offense in the nation last season, they enter the new year as the 15th-ranked team in the land.
They do return five players from last season’s squad, including three of their top five scorers from last season. Labaron Philon Jr., a sophomore guard who averaged 10.6 points per game as a freshman, was a First Team All-SEC Preseason honoree and was named to the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Top 20 Preseason Watch List. He dropped a team-high 22 points in the season opener. Aden Holloway and Latrell Wrightsell, each of whom averaged over 11 points per game last season, did not play in the opener but are hopeful for this game.
Last season, the Alabama offense averaged 90.7 points per game, and they shot 48.4% from the field. Adding to the strong mix of returners is Houston Mallette, who was redshirted last season after coming over from Pepperdine, where he averaged 14.7 points per game in the 2023-24 season. The senior guard impressed the Alabama faithful on Monday with a 15-point performance on 4-6 shooting, with a team-high 8 rebounds and 3 assists.
Team notes
- The team had 22 assists on 31 made field goals on Monday.
- Returning guards Aden Holloway (41.2%), Houston Mallette (50%), and Latrel Wrightsell Jr. (42.2%) all averaged over 40% from three-point range last season.
- The Tide have the No. 1 strength of schedule over the last four seasons.
St. John’s now a perennial power
The Red Storm were fully restored to prominence last season as they returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six seasons and the first under head coach Rich Pitino. For their efforts, they opened the season ranked 5th, the all-time highest ranking to start the season for the school.
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Rob Vincilleti | +896.00 |
| 2 |  David Hess | +427.00 |
| 3 |  Pro Sports Picks | +257.00 |
| 4 |  David Delano | +200.00 |
| 5 |  Michael Briggs | +165.00 |
They came out like a Top 5 team in their opener, scoring 54 points in each half. They had the best offense in the Big East last season, averaging 78.5 points per game on 44.5% shooting. They shot 56.5% from the field and 42.1% from three-point range in their season-opening win. They do have a big-time returner in Zuby Ejiofor, who was second on the team in scoring with 14.7 points and first in rebounding last season with 8.1 a game. He also blocked 1.4 shots a night. In the season opener, the senior forward scored 17 points on 7-10 shooting and added 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block.
St. John’s had the top-ranked transfer class in the nation, according to ESPN. Four of those newcomers are part of the team’s starting rotation. Dillon Mitchell, who scored 18 points on Monday, comes to the table with 106 collegiate starts under his belt between Cincinnati and Texas. Providence transfer Bryce Hopkins was a 2023 All-Big East selection. Ian Jackson, who comes over from North Carolina, is a sophomore guard who was the seventh-ranked transfer, per 247Sports. Oziyah Sellers averaged 13.7 points and shot 40.1% from three-point range with Stanford last season.
Team notes
- The bench scored 44 points in Monday’s win.
- Ejiofor was the third St. John’s player to be named the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year.
- The Red Storm have won 12 straight games at Madison Square Garden.
Alabama vs St. John’s Picks
Spread Pick for Alabama vs. St. John’s
- Alabama +6 (5 units)
This is an outstanding matchup for the first full weekend of college basketball. These are two very well-coached teams who, no matter what the turnover, always find a way to immediately fill their team’s needs. The Red Storm are getting a ton of hype based on Pitino’s effort to work the transfer portal in his favor. Even still, it’s only the second game of the season, and this will be a much bigger challenge than Quinnipiac. Is St. John’s being given too much credit? I think so, considering the opponent. Alabama may be coming in as the 15th-ranked team due to the departure of their top scorer, Mark Sears, but having back three of your top five scorers from a year ago is something most teams cannot say they have. Especially if that team led the nation in scoring last season. The Tide are not going to go down hard, if they go at all. For a team that scores like they do, I would always take points of this magnitude whenever you can.
Take the Crimson Tide and the points.
Over/Under Pick for Alabama vs. St. John’s
- Over 171.5 (5 units)
Last season, KenPom had St. John’s ranked 58th overall in tempo and Alabama was 1st. These two teams have not changed their strategies in the slightest, so these two teams should set the MSG court ablaze. On top of that, both sides are stacked with shooters, and those shooters are already warmed up, evident by the fact that both sides shot over 53% on Monday. This should be a classic back-and-forth shootout that will likely come down to the buzzer, and maybe even further. Give the people what they want here.
Take the over.
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