Northern Kentucky vs Houston Prediction - Basketball Picks 3/16/23

Houston Cougars (31-3) vs Northern Kentucky Norse (22-12)

Game Info: Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 9:20 pm (Legacy Arena)

Betting Odds: Houston Cougars -20 -- Over/Under: 121.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

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The Houston Cougars and Northern Kentucky Norse face off on Thursday in a college basketball showdown in the Round of 64 NCAA Tournament at Legacy Arena.

Houston Betting Preview

Houston comes into this game with a 31-3 record overall and they have gone 18-16 against the spread. Houston have found a ton of success this season, but they lost in the AAC Tournament Championship game against Memphis. The offense scored 65 points but the defense gave up 75 points and that led to the defeat. Marcus Sasser missed the game with a groin injury, and it’s unclear if he’s going to be able to go in this game. If he can’t go, that is a big loss for this team. Houston is averaging 75 points while their defense is giving up 56.5 points per game. Sasser has been the top player averaging 17.1 points while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from behind the three point line.

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Northern Kentucky Betting Preview

On the other side of this matchup is Northern Kentucky who sits with a 22-12 record overall and they have gone 14-17 against the spread. Northern Kentucky went into the Horizon League as the fourth seed, but the defense was good giving up only 61 points and that led to the two point victory. Northern Kentucky is averaging 73 points while their defense is giving up 66 points per game. The offense is ranked 100th in the league while the defense is ranked 103th. Marques Warrick is averaging 19.1 points while shooting 44.3 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from behind the three point line.

Houston vs Northern Kentucky Trends

Northern Kentucky is 7-1 against the spread in their last eight games overall. The over is 4-0 in Houston’s last four games played on Thursday. The under is 6-1-1 in the Cougars last eight games following a straight up loss. Houston is 1-5 against the spread in their last six games overall.

Shane’s Free Pick

Not knowing the status of Sasser is tough, but I still think even if he plays, Northern Kentucky can do enough to cover the spread. Northern Kentucky is averaging 73 points per game, but even more impressive in the last game was the defense giving up 61 points. Northern Kentucky is going to score enough, even against a good defense to keep this game close, and cover the spread.

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