Surprise teams on a roll at just the right time meet in the 2024 MEAC Tournament championship game on Saturday when the fourth-seeded Howard Bison battle the sixth-seeded Delaware State Hornets. The Hornets (15-17, 6-8 MEAC), who entered the tournament losing four of five, have won two straight, including a 71-58 semifinal win over second-seeded North Carolina Central. The Bison (17-16, 9-5 MEAC), who have won six of seven and eight of 10, upset top-seeded Norfolk State 80-74, one week after losing to the Spartans by 19 points. Howard won both regular-season meetings with Delaware State.
The game from the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va., will tip off at 1 p.m. ET. Delaware State is averaging 70.9 points per game, while Howard averages 75.2. The Bison are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Delaware State vs. Howard odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 138. Before making any Howard vs. Delaware State picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the proven SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters 2024 conference championship week on a 145-104 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 28-18 (+820) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Delaware State vs. Howard and revealed its CBB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Howard vs. Delaware State:
- Delaware State vs. Howard spread: Howard -3.5
- Delaware State vs. Howard over/under: 138 points
- Delaware State vs. Howard money line: Howard -163, Delaware State +137
- DELST: The Hornets are 4-1 on neutral courts in 2023-24
- HOW: The Bison have a plus-1.6 differential in assists, 108th-best in the nation
- Delaware State vs. Howard picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Howard can cover
Junior guard Marcus Dockery is one of three Bison players averaging double-digit scoring. He has had a dominant MEAC Tournament, scoring 32 points in two games. In a 78-65 win over Morgan State in Thursday's quarterfinals, he poured in 13 points, while grabbing four rebounds and adding two assists and one steal. In Friday's win over Norfolk State, he added 19 points, three rebounds and one assist. In 32 games, including 31 starts, Harris is averaging 13.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
Senior guard Isiah Warfield was instrumental in Friday's semifinal upset win. In 37 minutes of action, he scored 15 points, dished out five assists and grabbed three rebounds. He had eight points and three rebounds in Thursday's quarterfinal win. In 18 games this season, Warfield has made 13 starts and is averaging 7.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 25.2 minutes. See which team to pick here.
Why Delaware State can cover
The Hornets boast three players averaging double-figure scoring, led by senior guard Martaz Robinson. In Thursday's quarterfinal win over South Carolina State, he poured in 22 points, while grabbing 12 boards. He had 12 points and six rebounds in Friday's semifinal win over North Carolina Central. He has five double-doubles on the year, and has reached double-digit scoring 27 times. In 31 games, all starts, he is averaging 16.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals.
Sophomore guard Jevin Muniz has been a spark plug for the Hornets. He is coming off a 16-point, five-rebound and four-assist effort in the win over North Carolina Central on Friday. He also had 28 points and four rebounds in a 67-59 loss to Maryland-Eastern Shore in the regular-season finale on March 7. In 31 games, all starts, Muniz is averaging 14.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 36.1 minutes. See which team to pick here.
How to make Delaware State vs. Howard picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 144 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Howard vs. Delaware State, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $1,700 on its college basketball picks this season, and find out.
