Howard vs. Michigan

This seems like a lot of points. But it's not really when looking closely at these two teams. There is talk that this is the strongest batch of No. 1 seeds ever in an NCAA Tournament. Michigan, 31-3, is a top seed. Howard, 24-10, reached this point by winning the MEAC Tournament and defeating fellow 16-seed UMBC, 86-83, in a play-in game this past Tuesday. The Wolverines broke a Big Ten record with seven wins of 40 or more points. They also had 10 victories of 30 or more points. Michigan was 6-2 ATS when laying more than 23 points. The Wolverines also led the Big Ten with an average point differential of plus 17.6 points per game. That mark was third-best in the country. Michigan ranks 11th nationally in scoring and second overall in defensive field goal percentage. Howard can't come close to matching those figures. The Bison's opponents drew an average free-throw rate of 38.5%. That was one of the worst in the field, and it makes Howard even more vulnerable. According to KenPom ratings, Michigan wins this game by 39 points. Take Michigan.