Northern Kentucky vs. Houston NCAA Tournament Round 1: How to watch, odds and predictions for March Madness

Despite a late slip-up in the American Athletic Conference Tournament Final and some injury concerns, the Houston Cougars will still enter the 2023 NCAA Tournament with a solid shot to knife through the bracket to the Final Four in … Houston. That’s convenient. It all begins with Northern Kentucky vs. Houston live on Thursday night from Birmingham.

Though this one should be a relatively simple first challenge for the Cougars, they’ll probably be going into battle without scoring guard Marcus Sasser, currently battling a groin issue. Sasser also missed the team’s 2022 Elite 8 run with a lingering foot injury.

How to watch Northern Kentucky vs. Houston in the NCAA Tournament Round 1

Date: Thursday, March 16
Time: 9:20 pm ET
Channel: TNT
Streaming: NCAA March Madness Live, fuboTV
Announcers: Jim Nantz, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, Tracy Wolfson

The night shift for Nantz! How ’bout that? Better make it count, Cougs.

Northern Kentucky vs. Houston NCAA Tournament Round 1 odds

How do we put this … betting on Northern Kentucky might not be the wisest use of your money? Betting on 1-16 games in general, actually.

If you’re into it, though, BetMGM has Houston as a 19.5-point favorite, and you can bet on them covering at -105 odds. Northern Kentucky to cover is -115. On the moneyline, Houston is -5000, while Northern Kentucky is +1400, which isn’t enough. An upset of this magnitude has only occurred once in this great nation’s history.

The over/under for the game is 122.5, with the odds on both the over and under checking in at -110.

Northern Kentucky vs. Houston NCAA Tournament Round 1 prediction

The odds seem to peg this as a low-scoring, grind-em-out, knock-down, drag-out fight, which Houston’s veteran-laden squad is uniquely built for. Not only are the Cougars one of the top teams in the nation, but they’ve been one of the most reliable teams in March Madness several years running. Their particular brand of basketball works.

Expect tons of Clyde and Hakeem cutaways, as well as constant reminders that the Cougars are, in fact, good again.

Prediction: Houston 68, Northern Kentucky 41