St. John’s and Northern Iowa Face Off in March Madness First Round

St. John’s University and Northern Iowa will compete in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on Friday, March 20, 2026, as part of the East Region bracket. The game is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. MST.

Game Details

• Teams: St. John’s University vs. Northern Iowa
• Date: Friday, March 20, 2026
• Time: 4:10 p.m. MST
• Region: East Region
• Seed: St. John’s is the No. 5 seed, Northern Iowa is the No. 12 seed.

How to Watch

The game can be streamed on FUBO (with a free trial available). Golfweek reports that the game will be broadcast on CBS.

Betting Odds

According to BetMGM Sportsbook, St. John’s is a 10.5-point favorite over Northern Iowa. IndyStar details the moneyline odds as -625 for St. John’s and +450 for Northern Iowa. The over/under for the game is set at 131.5 points.

Expert Predictions

Several sources are offering predictions for the game. The Arizona Republic predicts a 73-61 victory for St. John’s. IndyStar highlights that St. John’s won the Big East tournament, including a 20-point win over UConn.

Dimers.com, using a model based on 10,000 simulations, gives St. John’s an 87% chance of winning, predicting a final score of 73-62. Dimers estimates Northern Iowa has a 13% win probability.

Next Round

The winner of the St. John’s vs. Northern Iowa game will advance to the second round to face either No. 4 Kansas or No. 13 California Baptist on Sunday, March 22.