The champions of the Big South will take on an elite team from the Big Ten as High Point battles Purdue in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 20, 2025. High Point had one of the better seasons by a mid-major program this season. Will that be enough for them to pull off an upset of the Boilermakers here? Only time will tell.
Purdue enters this game as a 10.5-point favorite according to the latest college basketball odds. As for the total of this game, that is 155.5 points. In this preview of High Point vs Purdue, you will get our keys to this game for both of these college basketball teams, along with our prediction for the game in the betting markets.
High Point Looks to Reach New Heights In First Round
High Point was one of the best mid-major teams in men’s college basketball this season. The Panthers went 29-5 for the season and won the Big South conference title with an 81-69 victory over Winthrop. The offense of High Point is highly explosive, which will make them a trendy upset pick going into the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Entering the tournament, High Point ranks in the top-20 in points per game on offense, putting up 82.2 points per game for the year. According to Kenpom’s offensive efficiency rankings, the Panthers are 25th in the country at the time of this writing. But it will be their ability to get stops that will be the question in this contest as they look to prove that they can hang with the big boys in college hoops.
Purdue Looks to Start Another Final Four Run
For the Purdue Boilermakers, the Big Ten tournament was a disappointment. After beating USC in their first game of that tournament, the Boilermakers lost to Michigan in the quarterfinals. Still, Purdue has plenty of talent and will look to make another run in the NCAA Tournament after losing in last year’s national championship game against the UConn Huskies.
While Zach Edey is not here to destroy the competition in the paint for the Boilermakers, Trey Kaufman-Renn is. Kaufman-Renn is averaging 20.2 points per game on the season, putting him in the top-15 in the country in points per game individually. He will not be able to shrink in the spotlight of the tournament, or Purdue could be going home early.
High Point vs Purdue Prediction
High Point +10.5 (-110) over Purdue
220K Gold Coins & 10 FREE Sweeps Coins
Claim Bonus - High Point’s offense is elite and can hang with that of Purdue in this contest.
- Purdue should win this game, but it is going to be a close one in our estimation.
