The St. John’s Red Storm are the toast of the town.
Led by Rick Pitino, the Johnnies have the entire Big Apple behind them as they enter the Big Dance as a No. 2 seed armed with aspirations to make a deep run in March for the first time since 1999.
This is no fluke, either.
Not only do the Johnnies (30-4, 18-2) boast one of the best résumés in the entire country, but their statistical profile backs up their record.
More on that, plus an exclusive sign-up offer from our friends at Caesars below.
The Caesars Sportsbook promo code POSTNEWSBG1 offers users who bet at least $1 a return of $150 in bonus bets if that initial bet wins.
St. John’s March Madness prediction
It’s a true pinch-yourself moment for the hordes of loyal Red Storm supporters who wondered — and if they were being honest, doubted — if this day would ever come.
At this point, the St. John’s bandwagon is bouncing, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more. And if you’re someone who likes to have a punt, we’ve come up with a few different ways you can get some skin in the game for what could be a magical month in Gotham.
Note: Due to state regulations, you can’t make any St. John’s-related wagers in New York, though the team is fair game in New Jersey and other neighboring states.
The first — and simplest — way to back the Johnnies is just to scoop up a future bet.
St. John’s NCAA Tournament pick
The Red Storm are 30/1 to win it all at multiple sportsbooks, making them the seventh-ranked favorite. If you think that’s a step too far, you can play the Red Storm to make the Final Four (+600) or the championship game (18/1), too.
Another option is the ever-popular moneyline rollover.
What that means is you bet St. John’s to win before each game and you take your original stake plus the profit and put it on the Red Storm to win the next game. This strategy often provides more value than just betting the outright odds in tournaments, and it gives you flexibility to get off the ride if you feel it’s coming to an end.
Doing some quick, back-of-the-napkin math: If St. John’s path is Omaha, Kansas, Texas Tech, Florida, Auburn, and Duke, your rollover is likely going to be well beyond the 28/1 payout that you’d get on just backing the Red Storm in the futures market.
The path will almost certainly look different than that, but the point is that if you have the discipline and the patience, it’s worth contemplating the rollover option instead.
But there may be an even better opportunity for those looking to hop on the Johnnies Bandwagon before it pulls out of Penn Station.
What if I told you that — if you’re feeling a little frisky — you could essentially get St. John’s at 80/1 to win the tournament by betting RJ Luis Jr. to be named Most Outstanding Player?
Let me explain.
St. John’s is not a one-man show, nor does it have a superstar on the level of Cooper Flagg or Johni Broome, but Luis is the headliner for the Red Storm. He was named the Big East Player of the Year, a second-team All-American, and led the Johnnies in scoring. He is the proverbial straw that stirs the drink.
Betting on College Basketball?
If the Johnnies do pull the unthinkable and win the championship, it is odds-on that Luis will be named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. It is not a direct correlation, but it’s pretty darn close.
Seventy of the 82 MOP winners came from the championship-winning team, and the last player to win the honor from the losing side was Hakeem Olajuwon in 1983.
There is a little bit more peril to this route than just going down the simple path of betting the Red Storm at 28/1, but the upside of backing Luis to win the MOP at 80/1 is absolutely worth the risk.
Think St. John’s can go all the way?
Be sure to use the code POSTNEWSBG1 to bet at least $1 and receive $150 in bonus bets, provided your initial offering cashes.
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Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.