Northern Kentucky vs. Youngstown State, Picks and Prediction, Sunday, February 22, 2026

Northern Kentucky (17-11, 9-8 Horizon) will be going for their second consecutive road win when they visit Beeghly Center on Sunday afternoon to face Youngstown State (14-14, 7-10 Horizon) at 2 PM. ET. Read on to find out which team picks up the win in this Norse vs. Penguins prediction. Do you need a boost in your handicapping? Try our NCAAB Betting Picks

The Norse are coming off an 87-71 win over Purdue Fort Wayne as six-point favorites. The Penguins are coming off a 106-82 win over Cleveland State as 11.5-point favorites.

Northern Kentucky is 7-3 in its last 10 games against Youngstown State.

Northern Kentucky Going For Fourth Consecutive Win

The Norse followed up their five-game losing streak with three straight wins. They will try to keep the momentum going and pick up their fourth straight win when they play on Sunday.

Northern Kentucky averages 83.1 points per game. They’ve made 47 percent of their field goals and 34 percent of their three-pointers.

Donovan Oday leads the Norse with 18.5 points and four rebounds per game. Dan Gherezgher averages 16.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, while LJ Wells averages 14.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

Northern Kentucky is giving up 76.6 points per game. Opponents have made 45 percent of their field goals and 36 percent of their three-pointers against them.

Youngstown State Going For Third Consecutive Win

The Penguins bounced back from their loss to Detroit Mercy with a win over Cleveland State in their last game. They will try to keep the momentum going and pick up their third straight win when they play on Sunday.

Youngstown State averages 79.1 points per game. They’ve made 47 percent of their field goals and 36 percent of their three-pointers against them.

Cris Carroll leads the Penguins with 17.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Bryson Dawkins averages 13 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, while Rich Rolf averages 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Youngstown State is giving up 73.9 points per game. Opponents have made 45 percent of their field goals and 35 percent of their three-pointers against them.

Northern Kentucky vs. Youngstown State Picks

Point Spread Pick for Northern Kentucky vs. Youngstown State

• Youngstown State Penguins to cover. (4 Units)

The Penguins have the edge in this game because they’re playing well offensively, scoring more than 87 points per game in their last three games, while making over 51 percent of their shots. They’ve also done a better job at the charity stripe, making over 80 percent of their free throws during that span, while the Norse made less than 70 percent of theirs. They rebound the ball well and grab more than nine offensive rebounds per game, which will give them more scoring chances. They do a good job of protecting the ball and won’t give up many easy-scoring chances. The Norse aren’t very good defensively, and they play worse on the road, where they are giving up more than 79 points per game, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down the Penguins. Take Youngstown State to cover the spread.

Over/Under Pick for Northern Kentucky vs. Youngstown State

• Over (4 Units)

The Norse average 83.1 points per game. They play at the fastest pace in the country, averaging possessions per game, and they’re facing a team that is giving up 75.3 points per game. The Penguins average 78.1 points per game at home. They play at the fastest pace in the nation, averaging possessions per game, and they’re facing a team that is giving up 79.2 points per game on the road. Expect these teams to score enough points to push the score over the total. The Norse and Penguins played over the total in their last two meetings.