A first-round battle in the 2023 NCAA Tournament has the No. 1 seed Houston Cougars facing off against No. 16 seed Northern Kentucky Norse on Thursday evening. The Cougars have made the NCAA Tournament for three straight years. Last year, Houston reached the Elite Eight before falling to Villanova. Meanwhile, this will be Northern Kentucky's third overall appearance in the Tournament. Houston guard Marcus Sasser (groin) is questionable.
Tipoff from Legacy Arena at BJCC in Birmingham is set for 9:20 p.m. ET. The Cougars are 18-point favorites in the latest Northern Kentucky vs. Houston odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 121.5. Before making any Houston vs. Northern Kentucky picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters the 2023 NCAA Tournament 79-53 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,300 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Houston vs. Northern Kentucky and revealed its coveted picks and predictions for the NCAA Tournament 2023. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Northern Kentucky vs. Houston:
- Houston vs. Northern Kentucky: Cougars -18
- Houston vs. Northern Kentucky over/under: 121.5 points
- Houston vs. Northern Kentucky money line: Cougars -2400, Norse +1150
- NKU: Norse are 4-0 ATS in their last four Thursday games
- HOU: Over is 4-0 in Cougars' last four Thursday games
- Houston vs. Northern Kentucky picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Houston can cover
Junior forward J'Wan Roberts has been an athletic and energetic option on the floor. Roberts has terrific size and is constantly fighting in the lane to secure boards. He leads the team in rebounds (7.8) and blocks (1.3) with 10.4 points per game. In his last outing against Memphis, Roberts dropped 12 points and 20 boards.
Junior guard Jamal Shead owns solid court vision and makes great plays as a facilitator. Shead is great at getting into passing lanes and creating takeaways for the Cougars. The Texas native averages 10.3 points, 5.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game. In a March 11 contest against Cincinnati, he logged 16 points and nine dimes.
Why Northern Kentucky can cover
Junior guard Marques Warrick is a smooth and reliable three-level scorer. Warrick owns the ball skills and shot-making ability to be an asset offensively. The Kentucky native is averaging a team-best 19.1 points with 2.7 assists per game while shooting 39% from downtown. On March 2 against Oakland, he scored 22 points and went 5-of-7 from 3-point land.
Sophomore guard Sam Vinson has been an active and agile player in the backcourt. Vinson attacks the rim with force and has a knack for absorbing contact. The Kentucky native puts up 11.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. He has scored at least 16 points in three of his last four games. In his last contest against Cleveland State, Vinson amassed 16 points, five rebounds and three steals.
How to make Northern Kentucky vs. Houston picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 135 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time. You can see the model's picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Houston vs. Northern Kentucky? And which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
