The Howard Bison take on the UMBC Retrievers in the opening First Four game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
After digging into the first matchup of the tourney, I found a player prop to bet for UMBC big man Jose Roberto Tanchyn.
With that said, let's take a look at my NCAA Tournament player props and Howard vs. UMBC picks for their game on Tuesday, March 17.
Howard vs UMBC Player Prop
Tanchyn and the Retrievers have faced a relatively comfortable opposing rebounding schedule, ranking as the 332nd-most difficult schedule in the nation.
And while Howard isn't a monster on the glass, it does represent a step up from UMBC's typical opponent, as the Bison sit 78th in schedule-adjusted offensive rebounding.
The other avenue to the under here is that Howard gets to the line a ton, ranking 11th in FTA/FGA rate nationally.
Not only does that reduce rebound opportunities, but Tanchyn will be going up against Cedric Taylor, who draws 5.3 fouls per 40 minutes. That mark ranks 195th among all players nationally.
That could pose an issue for Tanchyn, limiting his minutes, as he commits 4.3 fouls per 40 minutes himself. UMBC isn't a high two-foul participation team, ranked 279th in that metric.
Howard is also sloppy with the ball, coming in at 343rd in turnover rate, including dead last in non-steal turnovers. So, a whole bunch of UMBC's defensive possessions could end with no rebounding opportunities at all.
Howard isn't a great shooting team, but it still tends to shoot from inside, which are higher percentage shots. It shoots 49.9% from inside the arc compared to 34.7% from outside, which bodes well for this under.
I'm projecting Tanchyn for around 8.5-9 rebounds, depending on whether you discount his minutes for potential foul trouble. But even if not, that 9 number still would have him staying under 9.5 around 59% of the time.
Unfortunately, the under is only being offered at bet365, so that's the only place to get it as a standalone play. Alternatively, you can pair it with another pick or two over at PrizePicks.
Pick: Jose Roberto Tanchyn Under 9.5 Rebounds (-105)
