Houston Cougars vs Northern Kentucky Norse Point Spread Picks

A pair of great defensive teams clash in Birmingham, Alabama. Northern Kentucky was No. 1 in the Horizon League defensively in points surrendered (63.6 per game), but the offense was ninth in the 11-team conference in points scored, 10th in field goal shooting (.432), and ninth from the charity stripe. Northern Kentucky is 1-8 ATS in non-conference action, 4-13 ATS away from home versus teams that shoot 45%+ from the field, and 3-11 ATS against teams that allow 42% shooting or less. They're also 25-11 UNDER the First Half Total against teams that attempt 18 or fewer free throws per game. Houston is a powerhouse defensive team, second in the nation in points given up (56.5 ppg) and field goal shooting allowed (36.46). The Cougars are 41-29 ATS as chalk and 17-7 ATS away from home against teams that beat their opponents by 4+ points per contest. They're also on a 7-5 run UNDER the First Half Total. Play Houston + the First Half Total UNDER.