Due to Oakland and Valparaiso succumbing to shocking early defeats in the Horizon League tournament, the sea parted for the Northern Kentucky Norse who went on to take full advantage and punch their first-ever ticket to the dance in the program’s very first year of eligibility. Unfortunately, the No. 2 seed Kentucky Wildcats await in the first round making this one of the toughest challenges for John Brannen’s troops who fell to the only two teams it faced that made the tournament in the regular season.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
Northern Kentucky +21
Kentucky -21
Over/Under 153.5
The betting public is wagering on this game like they already have Saturday’s newspaper today. A hefty 72 percent of the tickets written are backing the Wildcats which forced a line move up to -21 after the game initially opened at -19.5. The total has also seen one-sided betting with 86 percent of the tickets hitting the over. The O/U opened at 152.5 and now sits a point higher, but it doesn’t look like the number is done climbing just yet.
Kentucky closed the season out covering six of its last 10 games to end up 18-16 versus the pointspread. The Norse were nothing short of a college hoops bettor’s wet dream with it covering at a 20-9-1 clip and closing the season out with five covers and a push.
Key Stat
13.8 – The Norse turned it over nearly 14.0 times per game when on the road this season. Kentucky thrives on turning its opposition over and heading the other way to ring up points in transition. The Wildcats force nearly 15.0 turnovers per game ( No. 58 ), and though Northern Kentucky only turned it over an average of 10.0 times per game on its way to winning the Horizon League Tournament, Kentucky represents its toughest opponent since battling West Virginia back in late December. The Mountaineers turned them over 25 times and routed them by 31 points.
Player to Watch
Drew McDonald – Everything about the Norse offense revolves around the overall play of their big man. He led the team in scoring with just over 16.0 points per game, and was also the team’s leading rebounder with 7.7. He very rarely turns the ball over and is more or less instant offense every time he gets the ball deep in the paint. The Horizon League doesn’t offer up many gifted specimens like that of Kentucky forward Edrice Adebayo, so the frosh will no doubt challenge McDonald every step of the way. That is if he doesn’t get into foul trouble like he normally does. If McDonald is able to draw a few cheapies early, it would make scoring a heck of a lot easier for the heavy dogs.
Free College Basketball ATS Pick
I felt like I’ve printed money backing the Norse all season. LaVone Holland and his mates have been so good to me that it flat out pains me to know the money train has left the station. The feel good story that has been the Norse is going to be dealt a humbling defeat against the reigning SEC champs who will be looking to close the night out with a bang. It wouldn’t shock me in the least if the Norse got out to a hot start. However, reality will find a way to set in, and when it does, it won’t be pretty for anyone holding a Norse ticket plus the points.
While that loss to the Mountaineers occurred a while back, it was very telling. West Virginia took McDonald completely out of the game keeping him scoreless over the course of his 20 minutes of game time. NKY has recently thrived beyond the arc, but one of the main things Kentucky does well defensively is defend the perimeter. This all adds up to Kentucky breezing into the second round and likely handing the Norse a 30+ point defeat.
College Basketball Odds: Kentucky 94 , New Orleans 63
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