Houston vs. Northern Kentucky: 2023 NCAA Tournament Odds, Preview & Predictions
March Madness is officially here! The 2023 NCAA Tournament Bracket has been announced, and the teams are lining up for the Big Dance. Letâs take a look at the early odds, preview, and predictions for the 2023 NCAA Tournament Round 1 game: Houston vs. Northern Kentucky.
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2023 March Madness Odds, Preview & Predictions: Houston vs. Northern Kentucky
Houston vs. Northern Kentucky Odds, Spread & Match Up Overview
- Houston Spread: -20
- Northern Kentucky Spread: +20
- Houston Moneyline: -10000
- Northern Kentucky Moneyline: +2200
- Game Over/Under: 121.5
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Houston 2023 NCAA Tournament Betting Preview
Attention! Attention! Mr. Consistent has entered the building. Houston finds itself as a 1-seed with a clear path to cutting down the nets in April. The Cougars enter March Madness on a double-digit winning streak and as a common selection to win it all. Marcus Sasser has been remarkable after playing just 12 games last year, with Jarace Walker, Jamal Shead, and JâWan Roberts making solid companions for this program, which ranks in the top 10 both offensively and defensively.
What I love about the Cougars is their ability to create shots. Not only do they rank in the top 25 in avoiding turnovers, but they also lead the nation in field goal rate and rank in the top 10 in offensive rebounding rate. This is why they are so consistent and have such a high floor for this tournament. Even when they have down games, they still can manufacture points simply with the number of shots they take each time up the court and their ability to capitalize on second-chance looks.
I canât talk about Houston without bringing up its defense. With Houstonâs incredible interior defense and slow pace of play, weâve seen teams fail to eclipse 50 points relatively frequently against Kelvin Sampson and Co., including Oral Roberts (a top-25 offensive team) and Saint Maryâs (a top-15 overall KenPom team). Another reason I am confident in this program is its ability to defend and make up for any offensive inconsistency.
An obvious negative for this team is its strength of schedule, which doesnât rank in the top 100. This will be a common talking point about this team, but Houston faced tournament teams in Alabama, Virginia, Saint Maryâs, and Memphis. Houston has had tough battles and knows what itâs like to lose. The Cougars showed last year that even with an injured team, they could still win three straight, which included taking down 1-seed Arizona. With a similar makeup and improved athleticism. Houston can do that and more in this tournament. If you told me a team beat Houston early this tournament, I would guess it would be due to the Cougars getting in foul trouble early with how physical they play. Otherwise, there arenât any glaring weaknesses. Donât be afraid to auto-select Houston into your Final Four.
Northern Kentucky 2023 NCAA Tournament Betting Preview
After upsetting 1-seed Youngstown State in the Horizon League tournament semifinals, Northern Kentucky handled business against Cleveland State to take down the tourney title and earn an auto-bid. The Norse play at a slow, methodical pace that can throw teams completely off their game. Northern Kentucky can be disruptive in the interior and rank top 15 in turnover rate. Northern Kentuckyâs nonconference strength of schedule ranked 62nd this year, so it has played a number of games against top opponents. But thereâs a reason for the lower seeding â the Norse didnât win many of those games.
The Northern Kentucky offense ranks outside the top 200. The Norse do have solid three-point shooting options but arenât exactly the most dynamic group. Marques Warrick can get hot from deep, and when Xavier Rhodes is shooting, heâs scoring. Northern Kentuckyâs three-point defense is subpar, and the Norse havenât exactly put up a fight against top-100 teams. But crazier things have happened in March, and if the Norse get hot from beyond the arc, Northern Kentucky can compete.
Round 1 & First Four Betting Picks & Predictions
South
- #16 Texas A&M-CC vs. #16 Southeast Missouri St. (First Four)
- #8 Maryland vs. #9 West Virginia
- #5 San Diego St. vs. #12 Charleston
- #4 Virginia vs. #13 Furman
- #6 Creighton vs. #11 NC State
- #3 Baylor vs. #14 UC Santa Barbara
- #7 Missouri vs. #10 Utah State
- #2 Arizona vs. #15 Princeton
East
- #8 Memphis vs. #9 Florida Atlantic
- #5 Duke vs. #12 Oral Roberts
- #4 Tennessee vs. #13 Louisiana
- #6 Kentucky vs. #11 Providence
- #3 Kansas State vs. #14 Montana State
- #7 Michigan State vs. #10 USC
- #2 Marquette vs. #15 Vermont
West
- #1 Kansas vs. #16 Howard
- #8 Arkansas vs. #9 Illinois
- #5 Saint Maryâs vs. #12 VCU
- #4 UConn vs. #13 Iona
- #11 Arizona State vs. #11 Nevada (First Four)
- #3 Gonzaga vs. #14 Grand Canyon
- #7 Northwestern vs. #10 Boise State
- #2 UCLA vs. #15 UNC Asheville
Midwest
- #1 Houston vs. #16 Northern Kentucky
- #8 Iowa vs. #9 Auburn
- #5 Miami vs. #12 Drake
- #4 Indiana vs. #13 Kent State
- #11 Mississippi State vs. #11 Pitt (First Four)
- #3 Xavier vs. #14 Kennesaw State
- #7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Penn State
- #2 Texas vs. #15 Colgate
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