In a First Round matchup, the (1) Houston Cougars will take on the (16) Northern Kentucky Norse in the Midwest Region. Let’s take a look at the college basketball betting odds, March Madness expert picks, betting trends, and KenPom rankings, then give our Houston vs. Northern Kentucky prediction.
Houston vs Northern Kentucky Prediction and March Madness Expert Picks
2023 NCAA Tournament
No. 1 Houston Cougars (31-3) vs. No. 16 Northern Kentucky Norse (22-12)
Date: Thursday, March 16, 2023
Time: 9:15 PM EST
Venue: Legacy Arena – Birmingham, AL
Coverage: TNT
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Houston vs Northern Kentucky March Madness Betting Odds
All college basketball betting odds for Houston vs Northern Kentucky can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.
Point Spread: UH: -19.5 (-110) | NK: +19.5 (-110)
Total: 122.5 – Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
KenPom | Bracketology
KenPom Rankings are from KenPom.com
| Team | Rk | AdjO | AdjD | AdjT |
| Houston | 1 | 118.4 (11) | 89.6 (4) | 63.3 (343) |
| Northern Kentucky | 161 | 103.3 (217) | 102.8 (121) | 62 (358) |
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Houston vs Northern Kentucky College Basketball Betting Trends
• Houston is 18-16 against the spread (ATS) this season.
• Northern Kentucky is 14-18 ATS this season.
• The OVER is 16-18 for Houston this season.
• The OVER is 12-20 for Northern Kentucky this season
Houston vs Northern Kentucky Prediction | March Madness Expert Picks
The Houston Cougars completed one of the best regular seasons in the school’s history and were rewarded with a number one seed for their efforts. Houston’s dominance on the defensive side of the ball, partnered with their slow-tempo offense has become a staple in college basketball. The major concern surrounding this team right now is the injury status of superstar guard Marcus Sasser. Sasser’s injury proved to have an effect on the team, as Houston lost by 10 to Memphis. Even if Sasser misses the opening-round matchup, Houston should not face too much of a problem, as this one of the weaker Northern Kentucky tournament teams of recent years.
According to KenPom Rankings, Northern Kentucky has the 217th AdjO in the country this year. Scoring just 68.2 points per game and grabbing just 32.4 rebounds per game (in the Horizon League) is going to be an issue in this game for the Norse. Look for Houston to cut Northern Kentucky’s opportunities down to one shot per possession.
With the possibility of Sasser missing some or the entire game due to injury and both teams’ willingness to play a slower a game, we like the under in this game. The over is under .500 for both teams this year, giving us a pretty good indication that this tournament will go under.
Our college basketball betting Houston vs Northern Kentucky prediction tonight will be the UNDER hitting at BetUS.
For what it’s worth, the ESPN Matchup Predictor gives Houston a 97.9% chance to win.
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