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Preview for Horizon League Championship: Northern Kentucky vs. Cleveland State

The Horizon League Conference will award their automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament to the winner of Northern Kentucky vs. Cleveland State on Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know.

Syndication: The Enquirer Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The championship for the Horizon League Conference Tournament sees the No. 4 Northern Kentucky Norse vs. the No. 3 Cleveland State Vikings in the final game on Tuesday, March 7 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The game will air on ESPN, and the winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

No. 4 Northern Kentucky (21-12, 14-6 Horizon)

NET: 161
KenPom: 163

The Northern Kentucky Norse grabbed a big win over No. 1 seed Youngstown State in the semifinal game after pulling off a single-digit win over No. 5 Oakland to reach the championship game. This is going to be a fun one to watch — the Norse have faced Cleveland State twice this season, and each team has won one game, each by one point. It will be a true toss-up on a neutral court as the two battle to reach the Big Dance. The Norse were last in the NCAA Tournament in 2019.

No. 3 Cleveland State (21-12, 14-6 Horizon)

NET: 169
KenPom: 178

The Vikings finished off their regular season with a loss to Milwaukee, but bounced back to pull off a close win over No. 6 Robert Morris before taking care of No. 2 Milwaukee when it mattered most in the semifinal game. Cleveland State’s last NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2021.

How to watch Horizon League Championship Game

When: Tuesday, March 7 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana
TV: ESPN/ESPN2
Livestream: ESPN.com, ESPN app

Odds for Horizon League Championship Game

Point spread: Northern Kentucky -2.5
Point total: 126
Moneyline: Northern Kentucky -140, Cleveland State +120

Pre-tournament odds to win at DraftKings Sportsbook

Northern Kentucky: +330
Cleveland State: +330