Northern Kentucky vs Cleveland State Odds & Picks for 2023 Horizon League Title Game
By Chris Amberley in College Basketball
Published:
- The Norse are laying 1.5-points in the Northern Kentucky vs Cleveland State odds in the Horizon League Championship Game on Tuesday
- Northern Kentucky is seeking its fourth title in the last seven years
- Don’t miss the latest Northern Kentucky vs Cleveland State odds below, plus predictions
The Horizon League Tournament has been a place where top seeds go to die. This year was no exception. For the sixth time in the last seven seasons the no. 1 seed in the tournament will not be advancing to the March Madness bracket.
That’s because no. 4 seed Northern Kentucky took down top seed Youngstown State in Monday’s semifinal, setting up a championship-game showdown with no. 3 seed Cleveland State.
Despite being the lower seed, online sportsbooks are bullish on the Norse. Northern Kentucky opened up as a small favorite in Tuesday’s college basketball odds, as they look to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
Northern Kentucky vs Cleveland State Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Kentucky Norse | -1.5 (-110) | -125 | O 127 (-110) |
| Cleveland State Vikings | +1.5 (-110) | +105 | U 127 (-110) |
Northern Kentucky is currently favored by 1.5-points, in a contest with a total of 127. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 pm ET at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, IN, with ESPN2 and ESPN+ providing linear and streaming coverage.
Odds as of March 7 at DraftKings sportsbook.
Northern Kentucky vs Cleveland State Betting Trends
The Norse would have been dancing in 2020, if a global pandemic hadn’t wiped out March Madness. They’ve won three of the past six Horizon League Tournaments, and were ousted by a one-point in last year’s epic title game versus Wright State.
Northern Kentucky closed the regular season on a four-game winning streak, and have made short work of their opponents so far in the conference tournament. They opened up with a seven point victory over Oakland, before dumping Youngstown State by 12 in the semifinals.
WE HOPE YOU PACKED FOR 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗗𝗔𝗬𝗦!!
THE 𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗦𝗘 ARE 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗦‼️@NKUNorse | #NorseUp pic.twitter.com/yK8oAIttda
— NKU Men's Basketball 🏀 (@NKUNorseMBB) March 7, 2023
They ranked ninth out of 11 Horizon League teams this year in scoring, but offense has not been a problem over the last few days. They’re averaging 78 points per outing in the tournament, 10 more than in the regular season. The Norse feature one dominant scorer in Marques Warrick, who’s opened the tournament with back-to-back 22 point efforts.
Northern Kentucky makes its bones on defense, leading the league in points against. They held the conference’s number one offense to only 63 points in the semifinal, while forcing 13 turnovers. Their opponent made just 19% of their triples, while the Norse sent Youngstown State to the free throw line only 13 times.
Cleveland State meanwhile, is also better known for its defense as well, but they’ve flashed a high offensive ceiling this week. They poured in a season high 93 points versus Milwaukee in the semis, shooting 49% from the field.
FINAL: GOING. TO. THE. 'SHIP.
Cleveland State defeats Milwaukee to advance to tomorrow night's #HLMBB Championship Game!
Tristan Enaruna leads the way with 24 points, Tae Williams with 18, and Deante Johnson with a double-double(14 pts., 10 reb.)#HEART | #GoVikes pic.twitter.com/DB9J7kEkAP
— Cleveland State Men’s Basketball 🏀 (@csu_basketball) March 7, 2023
Leading scorer Tristan Enaruna has been as good as advertised in the tournament, averaging 23.5 points per contest. The 6-8 junior has shot north of 56% in both outings, and helped the Vikings survive a scare in their tournament opener.
Cleveland State needed overtime to get past no. 6 seed Robert Morris. The Vikings are trying to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history, after previously dancing in 2021 and 2009.
Northern Kentucky vs Cleveland State Predictions
These two spilt their regular season meetings and the margins couldn’t have been smaller. Each defended home court with a one point victory, while both contests failed to eclipse 127 points.
Northern Kentucky and Cleveland State may have excelled so far offensively in tournament, but I’m betting on them getting back to their roots in the title game. We should expect another tightly contested, low scoring game and the edge has to go to the Norse.
Northern Kentucky vs Cleveland State H2H Results This Season
| Date | Away Team | Home Team | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 19, 2023 | Northern Kentucky Norse | Cleveland State Vikings | CLEV, 64-63 |
| Jan. 20, 2023 | Cleveland State Vikings | Northern Kentucky Norse | NKU, 57-56 |
Northern Kentucky has been the more consistent of the two programs so far, and lead the Horizon League in nearly every major defensive category, including steals. Those extra possessions generated by takeaways could be the difference. The Norse are a veteran laden group, that plays physical but with the discipline not to give up any freebies with unnecessary fouls.
They grade out higher per both the NCAA NET rankings and KenPom’s overall efficiency metrics, and will prove they’re the most worthy team to represent the Horizon League at March Madness.
Pick: Northern Kentucky Moneyline (-125)
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Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
