UMBC vs Howard College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks, Best Bets for NCAA Tournament First Four

The UMBC Retrievers (24-8) and the Howard Bison (23-10) square off in a First Four matchup on Tuesday. A spot in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament is on the table for the winner of the game, tipping off at 6:40 p.m. ET.

Before you place your bet on this matchup at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are the NCAA basketball odds and spreads you need to know.

UMBC vs. Howard Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Tuesday, March 17, 2026
• Game time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• TV channel: truTV
• Location: Dayton, Ohio
• Arena: UD Arena

UMBC vs. Howard Picks and Prediction

All college basketball win probability predictions and picks are according to numberFire.
Prediction: UMBC win (53.8%)

UMBC is a 1.5-point favorite against Howard on Tuesday and the total has been set at 142.5 points. Here's some betting trends and insights before you place a wager on the matchup.

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UMBC vs. Howard: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• UMBC has won 19 games against the spread this season, while failing to cover 11 times.
• Howard has covered 21 times in 29 games with a spread this year.
• As a 1.5-point underdog or more in 2025-26, Howard is 7-2 against the spread compared to the 14-7 ATS record UMBC puts up as a 1.5-point favorite.
• The Retrievers have done a better job covering the spread in away games (10-5-0) than they have at home (9-6-0).
• The Bison's winning percentage against the spread at home is .727 (8-3-0). Away, it is .692 (9-4-0).

UMBC vs. Howard: Moneyline Betting Stats

• UMBC has won in 20, or 95.2%, of the 21 contests it has been named as the moneyline favorite in this year.
• This year, the Retrievers have won 20 of 22 games when listed as at least -108 or better on the moneyline.
• Howard has won four of the eight games it was the underdog on the moneyline this season (50%).
• The Bison have gone 4-4 when they have played as a moneyline underdog with odds of -111 or longer (50%).
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies UMBC has a 51.9% chance of walking away with the win.

UMBC vs. Howard Head-to-Head Comparison

• UMBC was 38th in college basketball in points scored (80 per game) last year and 22nd-worst in points allowed (78.8).
• UMBC was 294th in the country in rebounds per game (30) and sixth-worst in rebounds allowed (35.7) last year.
• Last season UMBC was ranked 99th in the nation in assists with 14.6 per game.
• In terms of turnovers, UMBC was 164th in the nation in committing them (11 per game) last season. It was 100th in forcing them (12.1 per game).
• Howard ranked 80th in college basketball with 77.5 points per contest last season, but on defense it struggled, allowing 79.3 points per game (19th-worst in college basketball).
• Howard averaged 30.6 rebounds per game (266th-ranked in college basketball) last year, while allowing 30.2 rebounds per contest (114th-ranked).
• Howard ranked 46th in college basketball with 15.8 assists per game.
• While Howard was in the bottom 25 in college basketball in turnovers per game with 14.1 (ninth-worst), it ranked 166th in college basketball with 11.4 forced turnovers per game.

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