Play the music! March Madness’ Round of 64 officially tips off today with matchups all across the schedule, so whether you’re tuning in when you can this evening or taking off work to soak in the action, there are games for everyone.
The Michigan Wolverines sat atop the AP Poll for a time this season and finished the pre-tournament schedule at No. 3. Their prowess earned them a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and they kick things off at 7:10 p.m. EST on Thursday night against the No. 16 Howard Bison.
To get you ready for this game, we’ve got you covered with a Howard vs. Michigan prediction, pick and more on DraftKings Sportsbook ahead of tonight’s contest.
Howard vs. Michigan prediction, preview
Howard Bison
We’ll start with the lower-seeded Howard Bison. The No. 16 competitor emerged from the MEAC and scrapped its way to an NCAA Tournament berth by downing UMBC 86-83 in the First Four, making their second Round of 64 appearance in the last four seasons. Getting a matchup with one of the top teams in the nation is quite the reward, though. After going 0-2 against Quad 1 sides this season, the outlook is, as usual in these parts of the bracket, grim.
Howard falls 205th in the nation with a -2.92 NETRTG, per KenPom. The Bison average 75.4 PPG, shooting 44.8% overall and 35.2% from deep. They do get to the line at the 11th-highest rate, and the 28th-ranked AST/FGM ratio is another positive. However, their AST/TO ratio is just 1.123 as turnovers remain a fairly significant issue. Howard also posts 36.0 rebounds a night, holding opponents to 68.3 PPG (37th fewest). The Bison are 129th in DRTG and certainly stronger on that side of the ball.
The roster includes a pair of scorers at 17.1 PPG between Bryce Harris and Cedric Taylor III, who average 7.1 and 6.7 rebounds apiece as well. Ose Okojie brings 10.8 PPG with stellar shooting splits of 56.8% overall and 48.4% from distance. Cam Gillus is the team’s other double-digit scorer with 10.5 points to match a team-best 4.7 assists.
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines have largely dominated this season. The Big Ten’s regular-season champs rolled to a 31-3 overall record and are one of just three teams in the nation to eclipse the 30-win mark, joining the Duke Blue Devils and Arizona Wildcats at the top of the sport. While they fell to Purdue in the conference tourney final, they remain a standout program under Dusty May and are 17-3 against Quad 1 teams with an undefeated record against all others.
Michigan brings standout play on both sides of the ball that got it to this point. The Wolverines are third in NETRTG per KenPom at +37.58 at No. 8 in offense and No. 1 in defense. They score 86.8 PPG with the sixth-best FG% at 50.5% and a 36.0% 3P%. Their 18.5 assists are fifth-most, a 1.543 AST/TO ratio sits 35th and they’re also 27th in AST/FGM ratio. As good as the offense is, the defense matches it by allowing only 69.2 PPG and the lowest opponent eFG% at just 44.7%. The Wolverines also haul in 40.0 rebounds per game, 14th most, ranking fourth in blocks as well.
There are four double-digit scorers on this roster. Yaxel Lendeborg headlines the group with 14.6 points and 7.0 rebounds, with Morez Johnson Jr. posting 13.1 points and 7.1 rebounds as well. Aday Mara averages 11.6 points and 6.9 rebounds, and Elliot Cadeau pitches in 10.2 points with a team-best 5.6 assists.
Howard vs. Michigan pick, best bet
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Michigan comes in as a massive 30.5-point favorite. Howard holds +3500 odds to win outright in an upset with the game total set at 151.5 combined points.
Howard comes in right on the line of Quad 3 and Quad 4, teams which Michigan largely destroyed this season by an average margin of 28.56 PPG. This spread is absolutely huge though, so I’m hesitant to take the Wolverines to cover. I do fully believe they’ll blow their opponent out though, especially since the Bison lost to Duke 93-56 in Howard’s lone game against an elite squad like this one. Michigan went over this line of 91.5 points in six of its nine games against Quad 3 and 4 opponents, which included five performances of 100+ points. With that stat in mind, I like the Wolverines to get over their team total with relative ease and cruise to the second round.
Best Bet: Michigan team total over 91.5 points (-110)
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