The Howard Bison take on the Michigan Wolverines in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament in Buffalo, New York, on Thursday, March 19. Tip-off is set for 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS.
Michigan is favored by -30.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -20000. Meanwhile, Howard is the underdog at +30.5 with a moneyline of +3500. The total is set at 151.5 points.
Here’s my Howard vs. Michigan prediction and college basketball picks for Thursday, March 19.
Howard vs Michigan Prediction
My Pick: Aday Mara Under 2.5 Blocks
My Howard vs Michigan best bet is on Mara to go under his blocks prop. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Howard vs. Michigan Odds
| Howard Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+30.5 -102 | 151.5 -110o / -110u | +3500 |
| Michigan Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-30.5 -118 | 151.5 -110o / -110u | -20000 |
- Howard vs Michigan Spread: Michigan -30.5
- Howard vs Michigan Over/Under: 151.5 points
- Howard vs Michigan Moneyline: Howard +3500, Michigan -20000
Howard vs Michigan College Basketball Betting Preview
Howard Basketball
Howard won its first game ever in the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday, and it’s a good thing it was able to keep the lead against UMBC, because a second win is going to be nearly impossible.
The Bison head to the KeyBank Center in Buffalo to take on the Michigan Wolverines.
Howard has won 16 of its last 18 games, but outside of its victory against UMBC, it doesn't have a win against a team higher than 326th in the KenPom rankings.
Bryce Harris and Cedric Taylor III have been the Bison's leading scorers all season, but Ose Okojie contributed 23 points in their First Four win, 13 more than his average.
The big discrepancy in this game will be size. Howard ranks as one of the smallest team in Division I, 337th in the nation. Michigan is the 28th-tallest team.
While Howard’s tenacity has allowed it to rebound the ball well this season, Michigan’s size will simply be too much.
Michigan Basketball
Michigan has been in and out of top spot all season long, and its three losses on the season have been to the KenPom 22nd-ranked Wisconsin Badgers, KenPom first-ranked Duke and the KenPom eighth-ranked Purdue in the Big Ten title game.
That loss in the Big Ten Tournament final may have been the best thing to happen to the Wolverines. They’ll be able to learn from their mistakes and make a deep run.
While the Wolverines record is awfully impressive, their biggest struggle this season has been turnovers. They turned the ball over the third most in the Big Ten, which might spell trouble for them in their bracket.
They’ll have to go through the likes of Texas Tech, Kentucky and Iowa State, all of which find a way to create turnovers.
Howard vs Michigan Pick, Betting Analysis
It’s a tough spread to handicap since the Bison aren't going to keep this close. But can you comfortably lay the 31.5 points?
The over is a bit of a hard bet, too, because we have to consider the fact that the Bison will have a ton of trouble scoring. So, will the Wolverines slow it down late?
I do think the Bison will have to score from the outside because Michigan is simply too big. So, how many shots will they get up in the paint? I’m guessing not many.
I think Aday Mara to have under 2.5 blocked shots is a good bet. It’s a bit pricey at -150, but he's gone under three in seven of his last nine. The Bison won’t be likely to try and shoot over the 7-foot-3 junior much.
My Pick: Aday Mara Under 2.5 Blocks
