Advertisement

Northern Kentucky vs. Houston picks, predictions: Who wins NCAA Tournament game?

jeremy cluff, arizona republic
·4 min read

No. 16 seed Northern Kentucky and No. 1 seed Houston face off on Thursday in an NCAA Tournament first-round game.

The game is scheduled for 6:20 p.m. MST and can be seen on TNT.

Who will win the game?

Check out these picks and predictions for the contest.

Houston is a 19.5-point favorite in the game, according to Tipico Sportsbook.

FanDuel: Houston 78, Northern Kentucky 61

Devon Platana writes: "After Houston was embarrassed by Memphis, I fully expect a bounce-back performance at Legacy Arena. For starters, the Cougars have the defensive edge. While Northern Kentucky only surrenders 64.7 PPG (No. 34) on 44.2% shooting (No. 172), Houston gives up just the second-fewest points (56.5 PPG) on the lowest field-goal percentage allowed (36.4%) in college basketball."

Fansided: Houston will cover against Northern Kentucky

Iain MacMillan writes: "Houston is going to dominate the boards as well, which should help lead them to covering the spread. The Cougars are sixth in the country in rebounding rate, while Northern Kentucky comes in at 264th. I’ll plug my nose and lay the points with Houston in the opening around."

NCAA Tournament schedule, TV: March Madness game times, channels, announcers, how to watch

Sportsbook Wire: Houston 76, Northern Kentucky 55

It writes: "Houston has compiled an 18-15-1 record against the spread this season. Northern Kentucky is 14-18-0 ATS this season."

NCAA Tournament odds: 2023 March Madness point spreads, money lines, over/unders for games

Can Northern Kentucky upset Houston in the first round of the NCAA Tournament?
Can Northern Kentucky upset Houston in the first round of the NCAA Tournament?

Sports Chat Place: Take Houston to cover against Northern Kentucky

It writes: "I’ll probably stick with Houston in this one. The line’s a little too thick to mess with, though. The Cougars really didn’t play their best in the first half against Memphis on Sunday. Houston would finish with a rough 31.3 percent from the field, 67.9 percent (19-of-28) from the line and a 42-36 rebounding advantage (22-9 offensive). Prior to that, the Cougars had given up 66 points or fewer in 11 straight games. As for Northern Kentucky, they’re coming off a gritty win over Cleveland State and have now won five consecutive outings. The Norse have been a mixed bag scoring-wise lately with 67 or fewer points in four of their last seven. I don’t know that they’ll be able to keep pace with Houston if the Cougars play well."

March Madness odds: Houston, Kansas, Alabama, Purdue 2023 men's NCAA Tournament favorites

Dimers: Houston 70, Northern Kentucky 51

It writes: "Dimers.com's predicted final score for Northern Kentucky vs. Houston at Legacy Arena at BJCC this Thursday has Houston winning 70-51."

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Northern Kentucky vs. Houston picks, predictions for March Madness