St. John’s vs. Kansas: NCAA Tournament Prediction, Odds & Model Picks (2026)
San Diego, CA – The St. John’s Red Storm advanced to the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament with a decisive 79-53 victory over Northern Iowa on Friday, setting the stage for a Sunday matchup against the Kansas Jayhawks at Viejas Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. ET.
The Red Storm (29-6), fresh off their Big East Conference championship, are looking to continue their seven-game winning streak. Kansas (24-10), which tied for third in the Big 12 Conference, secured their spot in the second round with a 68-60 win against California Baptist.
This contest pits two highly respected coaches against each other: Rick Pitino of St. John’s and Bill Self of Kansas. According to CBS Sports, Self, a two-time national champion, lauded Pitino’s ability to adapt his coaching style across different eras of college basketball. “To me, the coaches (who) are so impressive are (those who) coached without a 3-point line, then became efficient with the 3-point line,” Self said. “Coached without a shot clock, then became one of the best with the shot clock – always evolving with the game. And (Pitino) has done that as well as anybody maybe ever.”
St. John’s is currently favored by 3.5 points, with a money line of -175, while Kansas is listed as the +145 underdog, according to ESPN. The over/under for total points scored is set at 145.5.
Zuby Ejiofor, the Big East Conference Player of the Year, has been a key player for St. John’s, averaging 16.3 points per game. He recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds in the first-round victory against Northern Iowa. The Red Storm’s team statistics show they average 81.5 points per game, with a field goal percentage of 45% and 38.8 rebounds per game.
Kansas will look to Darryn Peterson to lead their offense. The Jayhawks average 75.4 points per game, shooting 45% from the field and collecting 38.9 rebounds per game.
The SportsLine Projection Model, which has a strong recent record in predicting NCAA Tournament outcomes, projects the total score to fall under 145.5 points, citing a trend of lower-scoring games for both teams. The model also suggests a specific side of the spread will hit in over 50% of simulations, but that pick is available exclusively at SportsLine.
This marks the first meeting between St. John’s and Kansas this season, with Kansas holding a 9-5 advantage in the all-time series, including a 95-75 win in 2021.