New Mexico
St. John’s vs. New Mexico prediction: College basketball odds, picks
St. John’s is 3-0 on the year with three 20-plus point wins.
Of course, the Johnnies haven’t played anybody, overwhelming Fordham, Quinnipiac and Wagner.
New Mexico will be Rick Pitino and Co.’s toughest test yet.
The Lobos have already posted a KenPom top-25 win after beating UCLA last Friday in Las Vegas.
Donovan Dent and Nelly Junior Joseph are a formidable inside-out duo.
These are two similar squads, and I think the Lobos have a fighting chance of keeping it close for 40 minutes.
New Mexico vs. St. John’s odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | +8.5 (-108) | +290 | Over 161.5 (-114) |
| St. John’s | -8.5 (-112) | -375 | Under 161.5 (-106) |
New Mexico vs. St. John’s prediction
(12 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1)
Both squads run up-tempo, transition-reliant offenses centered around their backcourts. The Lobos and Johnnies will put the ball in their guards’ hands and let them run the open court for 40 minutes.
Both squads have talented frontcourt pieces but limited frontcourt depth. They are also limited in the shooting and spacing departments, often creating in the mid-range.
These are two above-average transition defenses, so while I expect plenty of transition attempts, both might find trouble scoring efficiently.
But there are a few matchup wrinkles that favor the Lobos.
In theory, Coach Pitino’s matchup zone defense should neutralize ball-screen actions.
But in practice, the Johnnies’ ball-screen coverage has been more than sketchy. They ranked 332nd nationally in pick-and-roll PPP allowed last season (.88) and allowed opponents to run the set at a well-above-average rate.
That doesn’t bode well for this matchup, given the Lobos run almost exclusively ball-screen sets with Dent, Junior Joseph and Mustapha Amzil in the half-court.
Additionally, I’m impressed with New Mexico’s rim pressure in the early season. The Lobos are averaging 28 at-the-rim field-goal attempts per game (98th percentile). That will undoubtedly result in higher-efficiency shots than St. John’s mid-range-reliant attack.
The Johnnies ranked 325th nationally in Rim-and-3 rate last season, and their most significant offseason addition is former Seton Hall guard Kadary Richmond, a talented two-way player who spends too much time pedaling in the middle of the floor.
I’m also uncertain how the Red Storm’s offense will look without Joel Soriano.
Sunday will be their first true test without their former star center.
He grabbed a million offensive rebounds last year, masking a shooting-deficient roster by creating consistent second-chance offense.
This year’s roster doesn’t have an adequate replacement, especially if they keep playing the 6-foot-7 RJ Luis at the four.
That gets to a more overarching point about roster continuity.
Teams with more returning production tend to outperform teams with less in the early season — fully formed teams perform better than the transfer-laden ones in November and December.
Betting on College Basketball?
New Mexico ranks 66th nationally in minutes continuity (49%), while St. John’s ranks 263rd (22%).
The Johnnies are relying on four transfers for significant possession minutes.
New Mexico vs. St. John’s pick
The Lobos and Johnnies play very similar schemes, making me think the two will play a closely-contested game.
But I’m willing to back New Mexico’s returning players and ball-screen offense against St. John’s transfers and sketchy ball-screen coverage defense.
Best Bet: New Mexico +8.5 (-108, FanDuel)
Regional gas prices rose for the second consecutive week and reached an average of $3.60 per gallon of regular fuel on Monday, up from last week’s price of $3.41 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Gas prices are jumping around because traders are trying to price in how long the Iran war will disrupt oil flows from the Middle East, on top of the usual spring run‑up in demand as driving season approaches. Markets are baking in higher risk and “additional volatility” but not a long-term shutdown, and prices could retreat if it becomes clear the tensions are short-lived, petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan said.
Analysts say another 20 to 30 cents a gallon is still likely in the weeks ahead.
The average fuel price in the Gulf Coast region rose about 107 cents since last month. According to the EIA, gas prices across the region in the last year have been as low as $2.37 on Jan. 5, 2026, and as high as $3.60 on March 23, 2026.
A year ago, the average gas price in the Gulf Coast region was 31% lower at $2.74 per gallon.
>> INTERACTIVE: See how your area’s gas prices have changed over the years at data.lcsun-news.com.
The average gas price in the United States last week was $3.96, making prices in the Gulf Coast region about 9.0% lower than the nation’s average. The average national gas price is higher than last week’s average of $3.72 per gallon.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s tally of prices in the Gulf Coast states includes Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas.
USA TODAY Co. is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Please leave any feedback or corrections for this story here. This story was written by Ozge Terzioglu.
QUAY COUNTY, N.M. – A grass fire has burned an estimated 1,000-2,000 acres near San Jon in Quay County.
Emergency crews say the Old 66 Fire is threatening structures, and remains 0% contained.
The New Mexico Forestry Division said crews discovered the fire at 12:30 p.m. Friday, March 27 east of San Jon, north of Interstate 40 in Quay County.
Smoke is visible from Interstate 40 and surrounding areas.
The fire is on private land and the cause remains under investigation.
State Road 469 is closed at Main Avenue. Officials said local residents should use caution and avoid the area.
Structures threatened include a wind farm to the southwest.
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