After a dominant showing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Howard kept it going and held on to beat UMBC in the First Four of March Madness.
But now the Bison have a much more difficult opponent up next. The sixteenth-seeded Bison are facing top-seeded Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Howard, led by head coach Kenneth Blakeney, doesn’t intend on losing, though.
The Bison (24-10) have won nine straight contests including the MEAC Championship over North Carolina Central.
RELATED: College Basketball Odds to Win the 2026 National Championship
Michigan is 31-3 overall and was 19-1 in Big Ten play during the regular season. The Wolverines had a six-game winning streak going into the conference championship, where they fell to Purdue 80-72.
They hope to bounce back against a team that has some momentum after its First Four victory.
Michigan vs. Howard Odds
Howard is a +31.5 college basketball betting odds underdog against Michigan, with the Over/Under being 151.5 points as of this writing.
Michigan vs. Howard On TV
The matchup between Michigan and Howard will be televised on CBS. The game will tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 19.
The contest is taking place at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
Michigan vs. Howard Prediction
I predict Michigan will win but Howard will cover the 31.5-point spread. I also project the game will go Over 151.5 total points.
Howard is well-rounded on the offensive end. Cedric Taylor III and Bryce Harris are both averaging 17.1 points per game while Ose Okojie is scoring 10.8 points per contest and Cam Gillus is averaging 10.5.
So I think Howard can score enough to limit the winning margin to less than 30 points. But Michigan is at another level this season.
The Wolverines are 11th in the country in scoring (86.8 PPG) and effective field goal percentage (58.1%). They’re not bad on the other end of the court, as they are second in Division I with a defensive field goal percentage of 38.422%.
Led by Yaxel Lendeborg (14.6 PPG and seven rebounds per game) and Morez Johnson Jr. (13.1 PPG and 7.2 RPG), Michigan also rebounds well. The Wolverines are eighth in the nation with a plus-eight rebounding margin.
I fully expect Michigan to win convincingly, even if it isn’t by 30-plus points.
