Howard vs. Michigan odds, prediction: 2026 NCAA Tournament picks from proven model

The 16th-seeded Howard Bison face the one-seeded Michigan Wolverines in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region on Thursday. Howard beat UMBC 86-83 in the play-in game after winning the MEAC to get into the NCAA Tournament. Michigan is coming off an 80-72 loss to Purdue in the Big Ten Conference tournament. The Bison (24-10) have won five straight games and nine of 10 games. The Wolverines went 21-2 against Big Ten teams, with a 10-1 record in non-conference play. The Wolverines (31-3), who lost their last game, have won eight of 10 games.  placed fourth in the ACC at 12-6 in league play. Michigan will be without star L.J. Cason (torn ACL) for the rest of the season. 

Tip-off from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, is set for 7:10 p.m. ET on March 19. This is the second time these two teams have met, with Michigan leading the all-time series 1-0. The Wolverines are 31.5-point favorites in the latest Howard vs. Michigan odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 151.5. 

Before making any Michigan vs. Howard picks, check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the 2026 NCAA Tournament on a sizzling 11-1 run on top-ranked over/under picks dating back to last year, and is on a 28-22 run on top-rated CBB side picks. Anyone following could have seen HUGE returns!

The model has simulated Howard vs. Michigan 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is going Over on the total, and it also says one side of the spread is the better value!

So who wins Howard vs. Michigan, and which side of the spread is the better value? Join SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has simulated this matchup 10,000 times!