Few college basketball conference tournaments are as pressure packed and intense as the Horizon League. The stakes could not be higher for Horizon League teams this year as its almost certain that their only path to a March Madness Big Dance bid is through the winner of their tournament. There is no forgiveness nor margin for error for teams from the Horizon League. The regular season title gets you a top seed in the tourney and nothing more which makes for a true pressure cooker. Northern Kentucky’s four-month body of work and regular season championship in the Horizon comes down to a dangerous five days in Detroit.
The Horizon League Basketball Tournament takes place from the spectacular new Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Action begins on March 2 and runs through March 6.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the March Madness Schedule.
Odds at BookMaker.eu: Check Back Later
Horizon League tournament action begins on Friday with game one between Green Bay and Detroit. Game two follows with Cleveland State vs. Youngstown State. Saturday starts with game three between Wright State and the game one winner. Game four will feature Northern Kentucky vs. the game two winner. On Sunday the University of Illinois Chicago will face Milwaukee in game five. Game six will follow with Oakland facing IUPUI. The Horizon League semi finals take place with two games on Monday night. The championship game is on Tuesday.
The Northern Kentucky Norse were the regular season champs of the Horizon League. Head coach John Brannen has orchestrated a solid defensive team that plays a full court game. The Norse made the Big Dance last year and Brannen was named Horizon League coach of the year for 2017.
One game behind Northern Kentucky were the Wright State Raiders. The Raiders are a strong defensive team that badly lacked in scoring ability. Their lack of offense is what prevented them from overtaking Northern Kentucky in the regular season race.
After Northern Kentucky and Wright State, there was quite a drop off in ability with the rest of the Horizon League teams. The one team that could prove to be a viable alternative are the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. They boast the top player in the league with Kendrick Nunn. But Oakland’s terrible defense and lack of board value will make gamblers weary.
Key Stats
Not only was Northern Kentucky the regular season champion but they were also a solid betting value and profitable team. The Norse lost just 10 out of 27 lined games against the spread. They also covered their last three games of the regular season. Under the total paid out in 17 of Northern Kentucky’s 27 lined games. The Wright State Raiders were a strong under team with just 10 out of their 29 games going over the total. The Raiders are limping into the tourney with just two payouts in their last six games. The Illinois Chicago Flames are also struggling with just one payout in their last five games. Over the total has paid in six consecutive games for the Flames. The Oakland Golden Grizzlies were a terrible board value this season with only eight covers in 20 games. Oakland got the money in just one of their last nine games. The Milwaukee Panthers had the hot hand at season’s end with eight payouts in their last ten games. Milwaukee also went under the total in eight of their last ten games. Youngstown State, Detroit, and IUPUI were poor board values and money losers this year. IUPUI went under the total in 18 out of 27 games this season.
Player to Watch
Senior guard Kendrick Nunn of Oakland is a dominant scoring machine. Nunn was on the Big Ten All Freshman team with Illinois in 2014 demonstrating his big-time pedigree. He transferred to Oakland after having to leave the Illini due to a misdemeanor battery guilty plea. Nunn led the Golden Grizzlies with 26.4 points per game this season. In his last ten games he scored no less than 17 points and had seven games of 20 points per better. In three of those games he scored 33 points or more.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Northern Kentucky is a well coached and proven commodity that held consistent betting value. They are the most complete team in the Horizon League. As defending champs of the tournament, they will be hard to beat.
Horizon League Conference Tournament Pick: Northern Kentucky Norse
BookMaker.eu offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu!
