NCAA Sweet 16: St. John’s vs Duke Preview, Odds, Predictions (March 27)

• The Red Storm took down Kansas in the second round.
• The Blue Devils blew past TCU in the Round of 32.
• This marks the 25th all-time matchup between the two squads.

The second half of the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament will progress as the ACC’s Duke Blue Devils take on the Big East’s St. John’s Red Storm. The former stands out as the solid favorite, presenting the stakes that will be present in this tournament matchup.

How to Watch

• When: Friday, March 27, 7:10 pm ET
• Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
• How to Watch: CBS

NCAA Matchup Odds & Lines

Game Preview

Rick Pitino and the Red Storm (30-6) are back in the Sweet 16 after torching Northern Iowa and getting past Kansas in the opening rounds. Dylan Darling prevailed as the hero kissing a lay-up off the glass as the horn sounded, to send the Red Storm into the second weekend for the first time in 27 years. Zuby Ejiofor recorded 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists against his former team. Bryce Hopkins caught fire from deep, finishing with a career-high six made 3-pointers and 18 points.

The Blue Devils (33-2) have performed at a solid level throughout March Madness so far, taking down Siena then dominating TCU in the first two rounds. Isaiah Evans helped Duke keep pace early with a team-high 13 points in the opening half as the Blue Devils led by just four at the break, 38-34. In addition to Boozer’s 17-point push in the second half, Dame Sarr poured in nine with a trio of three pointers after the half. Evans finished with 17 points, while Sarr totaled 14 with eight rebounds.

St. John’s vs Duke Head-to-Head

The two programs have had 24 meetings in their history, and the result is 17-7 for the Blue Devils. The last matchup was in February 2019 when Purdue won 91-61 at home.

St. John’s vs Duke Predictions

The winner of this matchup will go to the Sweet 16 as they face the victors between Michigan State and UConn. Rick Pitino is enjoying a strong campaign with St. John’s as their quality will be put to the test against UConn. If they can force Cameron Boozer off his game, they have a chance at pulling off an upset. However, Isaiah Evans and the supporting cast will seek to step up in that scenario. Our betting pick here is the Blue Devils to defend a 12-point spread.

• Free NCAAB pick: Duke Blue Devils -12