Howard vs Indiana Picks and Prediction for Saturday September 12 2026

The Howard Bison travel to Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana, to face the No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday, September 12. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET on Big Ten Network. Howard enters at 1-1 after losing 28-21 to Richmond, while defending national champion Indiana opened with a 52-16 victory over North Texas. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Before placing your wagers, check out our free college football picks for more predictions throughout the season.

Howard Faces the Defending Champions

Howard opened with a 31-24 victory over Alabama A&M before falling 28-21 against No. 23 Richmond. The Bison trailed 20-0 at halftime against the Spiders but scored all 21 of their points after the break and had an opportunity to make it a one-score game.

Ja'Shawn Scroggins struggled through the air against Richmond, completing nine of 28 attempts as Howard was held to 240 total yards. The Bison also converted only four of 16 third downs and allowed four sacks.

Howard's second-half response was encouraging, but Indiana represents a completely different challenge. The Bison must avoid the slow start that put them three scores behind Richmond.

Indiana Begins Its Title Defense With a Blowout

Indiana extended its winning streak to 17 games with a 52-16 victory over North Texas. Josh Hoover was extremely efficient in his Hoosiers debut, completing 13 of 16 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns.

The final score was dominant even though Indiana was actually outgained 367-365. The Hoosiers capitalized on excellent field position and consistently finished their opportunities, while North Texas struggled in the red zone.

That yardage discrepancy is worth remembering if an enormous point spread eventually appears. Indiana should dominate Howard, but the opener wasn't quite as overwhelming statistically as the 36-point margin suggests.

Howard vs Indiana Picks and Prediction

Pick: Howard +42.5 or Better

With a conventional spread not yet consistently available, Howard +42.5 or better is my target. Indiana is clearly the superior team and should win comfortably, but the Hoosiers allowed North Texas to produce 367 yards in the opener. Howard also showed some resilience by scoring 21 second-half points against Richmond. If the market asks Indiana to cover six touchdowns or more, take the points with Howard.

Pick: Under 59.5

For the total, Under 59.5 is my target number. Indiana scored 52 in its opener but should be able to control Howard without maintaining an aggressive offensive approach for four quarters. The Bison were held to 240 yards by Richmond and should have difficulty generating multiple touchdowns against the defending national champions. Take the Under if the total is set at 59.5 or higher.

Final Picks: Howard +42.5 or better and Under 59.5 or higher