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

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