Purdue vs High Point Odds, Predictions & Prop Picks (March 20)

• The Purdue Boilermakers are 7.5-point favorites over the High Point Panthers
• High Point enters the NCAA Tournament riding a 14-game winning streak
• See the High Points vs Purdue odds, player props, and predictions for March 20

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Two teams trending in opposite directions clash in the first round of the NCAA Tournament when the #4 seed Purdue Boilermakers (22-11, 17-16-0 ATS) face off with the #13 High Point Panthers (29-5, 17-15-0 ATS). This matchup in the Midwest Region tips off on Thursday at 12:40pm ET from Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, RI, with truTV providing the broadcast coverage.

Check below for the High Point vs Purdue odds and player props, plus my prediction to advance to the Round of 32.

Purdue vs High Point Odds

Despite the Boilermakers’ struggles to close out the regular season, they enter as 7.5-point favorites in Thursday’s college basketball odds, and a short -355 on the moneyline. The total comes in at 153.5 points.

Odds as of March 20 at DraftKings. Read SBD’s guide to the March Madness betting strategy.

High Point is the cream of the Big South Conference, going 14-2 in conference play and 29-5 overall. The Panthers enter the NCAA Tournament carrying the nation’s longest winning streak, currently sitting at 14 games.

By the time HPU hits the court in Providence, it will have been a full 11 days they’ve seen any game action; the Panthers last game was an 81-69 win over Winthrop for the Big South title on March 9.

TREY KAUFMAN-RENN! Throwing it down with authority for @BoilerBall pic.twitter.com/qYK4bzBb4K

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 15, 2025

Another year, another Top-4 seeding for Purdue, a tradition that has now hit a record eight straight seasons. But more concerning at this moment is their prime placement for an upset, which brings back nightmares from 2023, when the top-seeded Boilermakers were stunned by No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson.

Purdue has dropped six of nine to close out the regular season, including an 86-68 thumping at the hands of Michigan in the quarterfinal of the Big Ten tournament.

Purdue vs High Point Public Betting Splits

The March Madness public betting splits show an interesting moneyline split. The Boilermakers as getting 89% of moneyline bets, but that’s only amounting to 51% of the moneyline handle, meaning considerably bigger bets, on average, are coming in on High Point to win straight-up.

The Panthers are also swaying the tides on the spread, with 67% of wagers and 66% of ATS handle on High Point as 7.5-point underdogs.

When it comes to the HPU vs PUR game total, the public leaning heavily to the over. As of 8:49 am ET on Thursday, 68% of O/U handle and 69% of O/U tickets were on over 154.5.

High Point vs Purdue Prediction

It’s always interesting to pit a mid-major powerhouse like the Panthers to a tried-and-true program from a power conference.

Purdue’s late-season slide seems concerning, but then again, four of their final six losses were against ranked teams. That they’re ranked inside KenPom’s Top 20 and inside the Top 10 in the strength of schedule metric should mean they’re legit.

While the Boilermakers rank just inside the Top 10 in the Big Ten in scoring at 77.9 points per game, they shoot the ball at a 49% clip, which ranks sixth in the nation, and are 13th from beyond the arc at a sharp 38.5% rate.

The Big West’s High Point ranks 84th at KenPom, and they’re powered by an offense that ranks 25th in offensive efficiency. They were second in the Big South Conference in scoring at 82.2 points per game, and rank ninth nationally in field goal shooting at 49.4%.

The Panthers were also first in scoring defense in their conference, allowing 68.8 points per game, limiting teams to 42.6% shooting from the field (1st) and 32.7% from distance (2nd).

The one thing that is hard to overlook though, is strength of schedule. High Point didn’t play one ranked team all season, and their SOS at KenPom was ranked 296th. Only seven schools in the NCAA Tournament had a worse mark.

That being said, it’s time to believe in some madness for this matchup. High Point is about as lively a 13th seed that you will find, and they’ve covered seven of their last eight games.

Meanwhile the Boilermakers have dropped three straight against the spread, and six of eight overall.

Purdue should advance, but the Panthers’ body of work has me taking the points.

• High Point vs Purdue Pick: High Point +7.5 (-102)

High Point vs Purdue Player Props

High Point vs Purdue player props from bet365 on Mar 19. Claim the current bet365 bonus code to get a bonus for Thursday’s NCAAM slate.

Junior Braden Smith is Purdue’s main man, leading the team with highest assist prop of 8.5, and second in scoring at 18.5 points. He’s picked up at least nine dimes in three of his last four, but has gone Under his scoring line in three straight games.

Trey Kaufman-Renn has the highest scoring prop of any player in this matchup at 23.5 points, a figure he’s topped in six of his last eight.

Kezza Giffa has the highest scoring total for the underdogs at 14.5 points. He’s scored at least 15 points in eight of his last 10 games.

Juslin Bodo Bodo has the top assist prop for the Panthers at 6.5, a number he’s topped ed in five of his last six games.