How to watch Michigan basketball game for free today

BUFFALO – After falling short in the Big Ten championship game, the top-seeded Michigan Wolverines begin their NCAA Tournament run with a matchup against the 16th-seeded Howard Bison today, Thursday, March 19. Watch this March Madness game for free or at little cost with multiple streaming options available. How do I watch Michigan vs. Howard for free? This NCAA tournament game will broadcast live at 7:10 p.m. Eastern on CBS. Those who have cut the cable cord – or fans who are blacked out by ongoing DIRECTV carriage dispute – can watch for free by utilizing a free trial from FuboTV, which also gives you $25 off your first month. That gives you every matchup in the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament at no cost. If you want to watch non-CBS March Madness games on TBS, TNT and truTV, DIRECTV offers a free trial and $40 off your first month. SlingTV is the most flexible option. The streaming service now offers new users a Day Pass for $4.99, Weekend Pass for $9.99, Week Pass for $14.99, Monthly for $45.99 and Season Pass for $199.99 for five months and $45.99 per month thereafter. Pair the Orange and Blue package together and receive half off your first month at $29.99. Paramount Plus, which features CBS programming, NFL, UFC UEFA Champions League events, is another great alternative. Take advantage of their March Madness special and receive your first two months for just $2.99. This gives you every game on CBS in the tournament. If you would prefer to go the traditional route, the essential plan starts at $8.99/month. The premium plan is $13.99/month. The Wolverines (31-3) fell short against Purdue, 80-72, in the Big Ten championship game. That loss was not enough to knock the conference regular season champs off the top seed tier as they were just one of four teams in the nation to eclipse 30 wins, joining the Duke Blue Devils, Arizona Wildcats and Miami (OH) RedHawks. Head coach Dusty May’s bunch checks all the boxes talent-wise to be able to cut down the nets. It’s their stagnant play at times that could burn them against upper echelon competition deep into the Big Dance. Michigan is 17-3 in Quad 1 games this season and has not lost any other Quad games. The Wolverines are third in NET (+37.58) per KenPom. They also have the best defensive rating (89) and eighth-best offensive rating (126.6) in the nation. The Wolverines are 11th in Division I with 86.8 points per game, while allowing 69.2 points per contest, which is 57th in the country. They boast a 17.6 margin of victory with a plus-599 scoring differential. The towering presence of senior forward Yaxel Lendeborg brings in 14.6 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 50.9% from the field. Sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr. is averaging 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 62.8% from the field. Junior center Aday Mara has tallied 11.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 67.4% from the field. Junior guard Elliot Cadeau is averaging 10.2 points, a team-high 5.6 assists and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 41.9% from the field. Sophomore guard L.J. Cason (8.4 points per game) is out for the rest of the season with an ACL tear, which could affect their national championship hopes down the line. Watch Michigan vs. Howard for free on FuboTV The Bison (24-10), who are riding a nine-game winning streak, defeated UMBC, 86-83, in the opening night of the First Four on March 17, marking their first-ever NCAA Tournament win. The reigning MEAC champions are making their third tournament berth in four years. Howard is ranked 205th in KenPom, making the Bison the second-lowest ranked opponent Michigan has faced all season. The Bison have the 268th ranked offense and the 129th ranked defense. The Bison will need to lean on their strengths of offensive rebounding and getting to the charity stripe. They rebound 36.4% of their misses and find comfort with a quarter of their scoring coming from the free throw line. Their scrappy, trappy defense will also try to cause fits for the supremely talented Wolverines. The Bison defense is predicated on forcing turnovers and capitalizing on that misfortune. Michigan has struggled in this department, which makes this a factor to keep an eye on if it’s closer than expected in the final minutes. Senior guard Bryce Harris leads the Bison with 17.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 48.4% from the field. Junior guard Cedric Taylor III replicates that production with 17.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 44.9% from the field. Senior guard Ose Okojie is averaging 10.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 56.8% from the field and 48.4% from beyond the arc. These two teams last met in November 2016 when Michigan cruised to a 76-58 victory in Ann Arbor. What are the latest odds for Michigan vs. Howard March Madness? Here’s more information on how to watch Michigan vs. Howard on TV and streaming services: What: March Madness First Round: Michigan vs. Howard Best streaming options: FuboTV (free trial and $25 off your first month), Sling TV (half off first month and daily, weekend, weekly, monthly and season pass) and Paramount Plus ($2.99/month for your first two months)