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

The Howard Bison (23-10) are trying to claim a place in the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament bracket in their First Four matchup with the UMBC Retrievers (24-8) on Tuesday at UD Arena, tipping off at 6:40 p.m. ET.

Before you place your bet on this game 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 (54%)

Take a look at the betting insights and trends below before placing a wager on Tuesday's UMBC-Howard spread (UMBC -1.5) or over/under (140.5 points).

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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 won 21 games against the spread this year, while failing to cover eight times.
• UMBC covers the spread when it is a 1.5-point favorite or more 66.7% of the time. That's less often than Howard covers as an underdog of 1.5 or more (77.8%).
• The Retrievers have covered the spread in a lower percentage of their home games than away games. They have covered nine times in 15 games when playing at home, and they've covered 10 times in 15 games on the road.
• This season, the Bison are 8-3-0 at home against the spread (.727 winning percentage). On the road, they are 9-4-0 ATS (.692).

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 season, the Retrievers have been victorious 19 times in 20 chances when named as a favorite of at least -118 or better on the moneyline.
• Howard has been the underdog on the moneyline eight total times this season. Howard has gone 4-4 in those games.
• The Bison have a record of 4-4 when they have played as a moneyline underdog with odds of -102 or longer (50%).
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies UMBC has a 54.1% chance of walking away with the win.

UMBC vs. Howard Head-to-Head Comparison

• UMBC outscores opponents by 9.2 points per game (scoring 76.2 per game to rank 167th in college basketball while giving up 67.0 per outing to rank 29th in college basketball) and has a +295 scoring differential overall.
• UMBC's leading scorer, Jah'likai King, ranks 414th in the country scoring 13.9 points per game.
• Howard outscores opponents by 9.7 points per game (posting 77.5 points per game, 138th in college basketball, and giving up 67.8 per outing, 40th in college basketball) and has a +320 scoring differential.
• Bryce Harris paces Howard, averaging 17.1 points per game (147th in college basketball).
• The Retrievers are 129th in college basketball at 32.7 rebounds per game. That's 2.1 more than the 30.6 their opponents average.
• Jose Roberto Tanchyn is 362nd in college basketball play with 5.7 rebounds per game to lead the Retrievers.
• The Bison prevail in the rebound battle by an average of 4.5 boards. They are collecting 32.6 rebounds per game (137th in college basketball) compared to their opponents' 28.1.
• Harris leads the team with 6.9 rebounds per game (168th in college basketball).
• UMBC ranks 68th in college basketball by averaging 102.5 points per 100 possessions on offense, and defensively is 54th in college basketball, allowing 90.1 points per 100 possessions.
• The Bison rank 173rd in college basketball with 97.9 points scored per 100 possessions, and 10th defensively with 85.6 points conceded per 100 possessions.

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