🏀 NC Central vs. Howard Prediction: MEAC Championship Game Odds & Picks (March 14)

It's a battle of top-three seeds for the MEAC Championship as NC Central and Howard fight for an NCAA Tournament bid this afternoon at 1 p.m. ET from Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va., airing on ESPN2.

My NC Central vs. Howard prediction recognizes that the Bison are an 11.5-point betting favorite, the biggest favorite of any conference championship being played today. But I expect the Eagles to stay within this number despite playing their third game in three days. It all looks like it will build on my four game predictions from yesterday, all of which went a profitable 2-1 or better.

Our college basketball conference tournament guide provides all the info you need ahead of Selection Sunday.    

🏀 NC Central vs.Howard picks & odds: MEAC Championship Game (March 14)

See all of our experts' college basketball picks based on the latest college basketball odds; picks rated on a 1-to-5 star confidence scale based on betting value.

Total wagered: 3.0 units | Max profit: 2.64 units

💰 NC Central vs. How prediction & best bet

NC Central +11.5 (-110)

NC Central is a big underdog appearing in its first conference championship since 2019, but the pressure of the moment with an NCAA Tournament bid on the line should make this game closer than the 14 and 33-point margin of victories from Howard in the regular season.

In a stretch of four wins in five games, the Eagles defense has the highest turnover rate forced in the country (25.2%). That pressure defense should help mask their biggest disadvantage, as Howard in that same span ranks 20th in offensive rebounding percentage compared to NC Central’s bottom-four defensive rebounding rate.

Score prediction: Howard 74 - NC Central 68

🔥 Best NC Central vs. Howard team prop bet

Howard first half team total Under 37.5 (-115)

When Howard blitzed NC Central for 100 points in their only 100-point output against D-I competition this season, it still started slower in the first half with "only" 42 points scored.

NC Central knows its best chance of an upset is to play more of a grind-it-out game and minimize possessions, which is exactly what it has done in allowing just 64.5 points per game in two conference tournament games (one of which went to overtime).

Since Feb. 27, coinciding with NC Central's hot 4-1 stretch, Howard ranks just 225th in adjusted offensive efficiency, per Bart Torvik. And while the Bison are the 44th-best 3-point shooting team in that span, they are only jacking up threes at the 242nd-highest rate and prefer to be a more rim-attacking offense.

🚀 NC Central vs. Howard same-game parlay

I landed on FanDuel for this same-game parlay because it had the best number and price for both NC Central's point spread and the Under on Howard's first-half team total. At other best sports betting sites, Howard's O/U was a full point lower at 36.5 for the first 20 minutes. While bet365 has the best full game total for Under backers at 145.5, it did not offer first half totals as of this writing.

💡 How I'm betting NC Central vs. Howard

Follow all of our college basketball analysis and expert predictions this season.

Howard has won seven of the last 10 head-to-head meetings with NC Central, and covered four of the last five. While the Bison beat the point spread by an average of 21 points in a regular season sweep, I love the contrarian nature of the underdog point spread play.

I am not alone in that analysis with backing NC Central +11.5, as it has attracted 49% of the early point spread wagers despite its perceived lack of competitiveness in the regular season. The one-unit plays on the full game and first half team totals also pair nicely together, but gives freedom to earn a split of the two bets, especially if Howard starts slow.

📊 Live NC Central vs. Howard odds: MEAC Championship Game

The most interesting line movements on this MEAC Championship Game have come at DraftKings and FanDuel. DraftKings opened at Howard -14.5 last night before being steamed down to -11.5. Conversely, FanDuel opened at -11.5 and was bet up to -12.5 before returning to its original number.

The total saw similar fluctuation between the two sportsbooks, but both in the same direction. After opening as high as 146.5, the O/U has settled at 144.5 across the market, with 57% of the wagers backing the Under.

📈 NC Central vs. Howard betting trends

📺 How to watch NC Central vs. Howard: MEAC Championship Game

• Date: Saturday, March 14
• Tipoff: 1 p.m. ET
• Location: Norfolk Scope Arena (Norfolk, Va.)
• TV: ESPN2
• Streaming: ESPN+