Wagner vs. Howard Picks, Odds, Starting Lineups For the 2024 March Madness First Four
The Wagner Seahawks will take on the Howard Bison as a slight underdog on Tuesday night to kick off the First Four. Can Melvin Council Jr. carry the Seahawks to an upset over the Bison in Dayton? Jason Radowitz breaks down the odds and starting lineups for Wagner vs. Howard in this First Four battle of March Madness.
Jason Radowitz - March 18, 2024, 4:45 PM EDT
5 minWagner vs. Howard Picks, Odds, Starting Lineups For the 2024 March Madness First Four
Technically, the Madness begins at 6:40 pm ET between the Wagner Seahawks and Howard Bison.
Wagner and Howard will play in the First Four matchup for 16 seeds in the West Region.
The winner of this game gets to face North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
While we all used to laugh at these games, last year humbled all of college basketball. Fairleigh Dickinson was in the same spot the previous season. The Knights earned a First Four win and then took down Purdue in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
It's not so funny anymore!
Let's take a look at the latest odds and starting lineups for the First Four matchup between the Wagner Seahawks vs. Howard Bison.
Wagner vs. Howard Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds
- Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2024
- Start Time: 6:40 pm ET
- Where to Watch: TruTV
Click here for Wagner vs. Howard odds
Wagner vs. Howard Odds and Betting Data
TEAM | SPREAD | MONEYLINE | IMPLIED CHANCE |
|---|---|---|---|
Wagner Seahawks | +3.5 (-115) | +140 | 41.67% |
Howard Bison | +3.5 (-105) | -165 | 62.26% |
The Wagner Seahawks are considered the worst team in the Field of 68. According to KenPom, Wagner is the 293rd-best team in college basketball. Yet, after winning the NEC, the Seahawks are in the NCAA Tournament, looking to make noise.
Meanwhile, Howard is rated 276th via KenPom. While the Bison are better analytically, it's not by much.
That said, Howard is still the betting favorite, with an implied probability of over 62% to win this game.
The Bison have won seven of their last eight games and played in the MEAC, which had a better season than the NEC this season, per KenPom.
Wagner Seahawks vs. Howard Bison Prediction
The Wagner offense was miserable throughout the season. The Seahawks shot 31.6% from deep and 42.8% from inside the arc. That rate inside the arc was 358th in college basketball this season. But while Wagner didn't get to the foul line much, the Seahawks still earned nearly 30% of offensive rebounds and kept turnovers to 16.1% this year.
Wagner should at least earn second chances in this game, and if the turnovers stay down, they'll continue to get plenty of shots up.
Meanwhile, Howard's offense was way more efficient than Wagner's. The Bison nailed 37.5% from deep but only 49.2% from inside the arc. Wagner will ultimately add more turnovers against Howard and has held teams to under 30% from deep this season. If Howard can't get quality looks from three and turns the ball over at a high rate, the Seahawks have a legitimate chance at pulling out the win.
Wagner vs. Howard Prediction: Wagner (+136) (Bet $100 to collect $236) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
Wagner vs. Howard Projected Lineups
Wagner projected lineup:
- G: Javier Ezquerra
- G: Melvin Council Jr.
- G: Tahron Allen
- G: Julian Brown
- F: Keyontae Lewis
Howard projected lineup:
- G: Jordan Hairston
- G: Marcus Dockery
- G: Bryce Harris
- G: Isiah Warfield
- F: Seth Towns
Wagner March Madness Odds
The Wagner Seahawks are tied for the worst odds to win this year's NCAA Tournament. Wagner is sitting at +500000. Not only does Wagner have to beat Howard, but it would also have to knock off North Carolina, the winner of Michigan State-Mississippi State, and other incredible schools.
Howard March Madness Odds
It's the same thing for Howard. The Bison are +500000 odds to win the NCAA Tournament. Howard would have to earn a win over Wagner and then beat North Carolina as a 16-seed.
A 16-seed has only lost to a No. 1 seed twice all-time in college basketball. It's doubtful Howard will become the third team to do it this year.
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