NCAA Tournament Best Bet: Midwest Region – High Point vs. Purdue – Thursday, March 20, 2025

In the upcoming Men’s Basketball Championship Midwest Region, check out the opening round matchup between the 13th-seed High Point Panthers (29-5) taking on the fourth-seed Purdue Boilermakers (22-11). The action will take place on Thursday, March 20 at 12:40 PM ET at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island, where the Boilermakers are favored with a point spread at -7.5 (-120) at MyBookie.

High Point Panthers Betting Preview

The Panthers have won their last 14 games and have a ton of confidence heading into this matchup. Their recent success was an 81-69 performance over the Winthrop Eagles in the Big South Championship Final.

High Point was down by double digits early and had a slight deficit at the half. However, the team rallied on both ends of the floor in the second and posted 52 points to push them ahead. Bobby Pettiford led with 17 points and four assists.

Offensively, the Panthers are ranked 19th in the nation for producing 82.2 points a game. Their defense ranks 78th for allowing opposing teams to average 68.8 points a game on them. This margin of error is appealing, but they compete in a weaker conference.

According to the Panthers’ strength of schedule and winning point differentials, the team ranks 101 overall. Per 100 possessions, the Panthers efficiency on offense and defense ranks second and 99th, respectively.

Purdue Boilermakers Betting Preview

The Boilermakers have gone 3-2 over their last five games. They are coming off an 86-68 loss to the Michigan Wolverines in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals.

Purdue scored the first couple of buckets to start the game, but never regained the lead once the Wolverines retaliated in the first few minutes. While this was a four-point game at the half, Michigan steadily added to their lead as the game went on. Trey Kaufman-Renn led with 24 points and nine rebounds.

The offense from Purdue has averaged 77.9 points a game, ranking 79th. On defense, they have allowed 71.1 points a game and rank 151st. This margin is respectable, but they cannot afford too many mistakes.

The Boilermakers, overall, rank 18th for their strength of schedule and point differentials. On offense per 100 possessions, their efficiency ranks 18th. On defense at the same rate, they rank 241st for their efficiency.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie showcases the best High Point Panthers vs. Purdue Boilermakers betting odds, offering the Boilermakers as 7.5-point favorites. The Boilermakers have an 81.8 percent likelihood of winning, per market analysis.

All it takes is one team to have a good game and the other to come up short. This could be an interesting matchup if the Panthers stay efficient on offense. However, the Boilermakers are a much better team and should be able to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Purdue Boilermakers -7.5 (-120)