Northern Kentucky vs Cleveland State Odds, Picks and Predictions: Vikings Take Scandanavian Showdown

The Northern Kentucky Norse and Cleveland State Vikings meet Tuesday in the Horizon League Tournament Final, with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament at stake.

The Norse entered the tourney as the 4-seed, and NKU has posted wins and covers over Oakland University, as well as a victory over the top-seed Youngstown State in Indianapolis.

The Vikings came into the tourney as the 3-seed, and survived in overtime against Robert Morris in the quarterfinals at home, while ousting 2-seed Milwaukee by 13 points in the semis in Indy.

Can Northern Kentucky get back to the Big Dance for the first time since 2019, or will Cleveland State grab the bid? We’ll discuss in our college basketball picks and predictions for Northern Kentucky vs. Cleveland State on Tuesday, March 7.

Northern Kentucky vs Cleveland State best odds

Northern Kentucky vs Cleveland State picks and predictions

The Norse of Northern Kentucky have picked up six victories in the past seven games dating back to February 12, while covering each of the seven outings. The lone loss, you guessed it, came against Cleveland State at Wolstein Center in Northeast Ohio on February 19.

The Vikings eased by the Norse in a 64-63 battle, avenging an earlier loss in Newport by a 57-56 count on January 19.

Cleveland State has picked up seven wins in the past eight outings, although it is just 1-4 ATS in the previous five contests.

Northern Kentucky is trying to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in school history, and the first time since 2019. The Norse have never been able to win in the Big Dance in two tries.

Cleveland State has only been to the Big Dance on three occasions, with the most recent trip in 2021. The first ride in 1986 was memorable, with wins over Bobby Knight’s Indiana team, and then St. Joseph’s, making the Sweet Sixteen as a 14-seed before bowing out to David Robinson and Navy.

The current team has enjoyed the exploits of leading scorer Tristan Enaruna, who averaged 15.1 ppg with a team-best 6.6 rpg, too. Cleveland State had three players average 10.0 or more ppg in the regular season, with Deshon Parker just outside of that mark at 9.9 ppg. The Vikes have several guys who can sink the Norse.

Northern Kentucky was led by Marques Warrick during the regular season with 19.4 ppg, but only he and Sam Vinson (11.4 ppg) averaged more than 8.8. If one of them gets into foul trouble, or is having an off night, it generally doesn’t go well for NKU.

There’s power in numbers for Cleveland State, and if someone is down, it has more scoring options to pick up the pace. Look for the Vikings to earn their dance ticket in Indy on Tuesday.

My best bet: Cleveland State +1.5 (-115 at Caesars)

Northern Kentucky vs Cleveland State spread analysis

Northern Kentucky has cashed in seven straight outings, while covering 14 of the past 20 games on a neutral court.

Cleveland State has been equally impressive, however, cashing in eight of the past 11 neutral-site affairs, while going an outstanding 7-2 ATS in the past nine games against teams with a winning record.

Both of the regular-season meetings between these teams resulted in 1-point games, with the home side winning. Will the teams play a tight game in a neutral court game in Indianapolis? It’s almost a guarantee.

The good news here for Cleveland State backers, since both teams have rather impressive records against the spread lately, is that the underdog is 3-1-1 ATS in the past five in this series.

Look for Cleveland State to grab the narrow cover and work its way into the NCAA Tournament field for the first time in school history.

Northern Kentucky vs Cleveland State Over/Under analysis

Northern Kentucky has really struggled on offense this season, going for just 67.8 ppg, while hitting a rather coolish 43.2% from the field — both 262nd in the country or worse. If NKU does anything well, it’s hit triples. The Norse is 35.3% from behind the arc, which is No. 128 in the nation.

NKU is also a very poor free-throw shooting team, hitting just 68.3%, 301st overall. The Norse tend to leave a lot of points on the floor, much to the dismay of potential Over bettors.

Defensively, Northern Kentucky allowed just 63.3 PPG, as it likes to grind things down to a halt. However, the Norse’s perimeter defense leaves a lot to be desired, allowing teams to hit 3-pointers at a 36.6% clip, which is No. 332 overall.

The good news is that Cleveland State is rather methodical on offense, hitting 45.4% of its shots to go for 71.2 PPG. While those numbers aren’t necessarily good or bad, the Vikings aren’t a very good 3-point shooting team, either, hitting at just 30.6%. And like NKU, Cleveland State is awful at converting at the charity stripe, going just 67.1%, or No. 322 in the nation.

The CSU defense is pretty solid, allowing teams to hit just 42.2% from the floor, while clamping down on threes at a 32.5% pace. The Vikings allow just 67.8 ppg, too. 

Northern Kentucky vs Cleveland State betting trend to know

The underdog has cashed at a 3-1-1 ATS clip across the previous five meetings between these Horizon League combatants, and the Under is 3-1 in the previous four in the series. Find more college basketball betting trends for Northern Kentucky vs. Cleveland State.

Northern Kentucky vs Cleveland State game info

Northern Kentucky vs Cleveland State key injuries

Pages related to this topic