NCAA Basketball: Connecticut at Creighton
USATSI

A big one in the Big Apple for the Big East awaits us this afternoon on CBS as No. 15 Creighton heads to Madison Square Garden to take on St. John's. Creighton, coming off a shocking dismantling of No. 1 UConn earlier in the week, is a narrow road favorite as it looks to keep any hope of a regular-season conference title alive. St. John's is also coming off a win after snapping a three-game skid with its first road victory in almost two months.

The theme of Sunday might be the narrow paths both have to reach their goals. UConn handled Villanova at home Saturday to remain three games up on the rest of the league with three games left to play, so a loss for the Bluejays would effectively eliminate their chances of winning or sharing a regular-season crown. The Johnnies have a narrow path to reaching the NCAAs after a late-season swoon in which they have lost eight of 11, but Rick Pitino's crew can't be counted out just yet. With the Big East Tournament on their home floor and armed with a Hall of Fame coach, St. John's has a puncher's chance of punching a ticket to the Big Dance. A win Sunday would do wonders for its momentum the next few weeks.

How to watch Creighton vs. St. John's live

Date: Sunday, Feb. 25 | Time: Noon ET
Location: Madison Square Garden -- New York, NY
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.comCBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)  

Creighton vs. St. John's prediction, picks

Odds via SportsLine consensus

St. John's has been in the news a lot this week thanks to some, ahem, questionable decision-making from Pitino, who called out his players for lack of lateral quickness and strength. But the Johnnies responded well in their first outing since that rant, winning an ugly one at Georgetown to set up this one. Coming off their best offensive showing in weeks, I think they can give Creighton a push inside MSG and cover the number here at home. Prediction: St. John's +2.5

Who wins every college basketball game? And which teams could sink your bankroll? Visit SportsLine now to see how to pick every college basketball game, all from the model that simulates every game 10,000 times and has generated over $2,000 in profit the last four-plus years.