IU Indy Jaguars vs Northern Kentucky Norse Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Northern Kentucky vs IU Indy NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Indianapolis.

Northern Kentucky vs IU Indy Prediction

Planning on watching today's Norse and Jaguars game? Catch the action at Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis, IN, as the Jaguars hosts this showdown at 2:00 ET on ESPN+. Northern Kentucky is favored by -8.5 in this Horizon League conference showdown. The game's over/under is currently at 140.5 points.

Northern Kentucky vs. IU Indy Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Northern Kentucky Norse at IU Indy Jaguars
Where: Indianapolis at Corteva Coliseum
Date: Saturday, December 7th
Betting Odds NKENT -8.5, NKENT -345 | IUPUI +267 O/U 140.5

Norse Preview: Will the Norse Defense Show Up on the Road?

Northern Kentucky Norse Recent Game/Games

The Norse dropped to 1-6 on the season after an 86-73 road loss to Akron on Tuesday. Northern Kentucky entered the game as +6.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread.

They trailed 46-36 at halftime and were unable to close the gap in the second half, scoring 37 points while allowing 40. The game’s total points of 159 exceeded the over/under line of 144.5.

Norse Offense Breakdown

Trey Robinson and Tavari Johnson combined for 57 points in Northern Kentucky's recent game, with Robinson shooting 73.3% from the field and hitting 3 of 4 from deep. Johnson connected on 4 of 6 from three-point range, finishing with 27 points and 5 assists.

As a team, the Norse shot 45.3% from the field, including 33.3% from beyond the arc, and posted an effective field goal percentage of 52.8%. Their free-throw shooting was a concern, hitting just 60.7% from the line.

Norse Team Defense

Northern Kentucky's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 86 points while allowing the opposing team to shoot 53% from the field. They were particularly vulnerable inside, with the other team hitting 62% of their two-point attempts, going 15/24.

From beyond the arc, Northern Kentucky allowed 11 threes on 25 attempts, a 44% shooting performance. They also sent the other team to the line 28 times, where they converted 23 free throws, an 82% rate. The Norse gave up 12 offensive rebounds as well.

Jaguars Preview: Can IU Indy Deliver Being Underdogs at Home?

The Jaguars improved to 2-5 on the season with an 84-75 win over Green Bay on Wednesday. Entering the game as +4 point underdogs, they not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread. The total points for the game hit 159, surpassing the O/U line of 152.5.

IU Indy turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring Green Bay 48-33 after trailing 42-36 at halftime.

Jaguars Offense Breakdown

Anthony Roy's 34-point performance, including 6 threes on 50% shooting from deep, led the Jaguars to 84 points in their last game. Jarvis Walker added 25 points, though he struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 1 of 7 attempts.

As a team, the Jaguars shot 27.3% from three, connecting on 9 of 33 attempts, while hitting 63.6% of their two-point shots. They finished with an effective field goal percentage of 51.5% and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds, with DeSean Goode and Sean Craig each pulling down 11 boards.

Jaguars Team Defense

Even though the IU Indy Jaguars gave up 75 points, they managed to keep their opponent's three-point shooting in check, allowing just 9 threes on 33 attempts for 27% shooting. However, the Jaguars struggled to defend inside, with their opponent hitting 63% of their two-point shots, going 21/33 from inside the arc.

The Jaguars sent their opponent to the free-throw line 23 times, where they converted 15 free throws for 65%. IU Indy also gave up 14 offensive rebounds, contributing to their defensive challenges in this game.

Norse vs Jaguars Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three games away from home, the Norse have a straight up record of 0-3 while going 0-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 62 points per game in this stretch.
Although IU Indy has a straight up record of 1-9 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 4-6. The team averaged 66 points per game in these games.
The last ten games that IU Indy was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 6-4 while going 2-8 straight up.
Across their last five matchups as the betting favorite, the Norse have an overall record of 3-2 while going 2-3 against the spread.