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The Purdue Boilermakers and the High Point Panthers will fight it out for a place in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. The bookmakers have the Boilermakers as their 8.5-point favorites. Here we look ahead to the match and name our NCAAB betting picks in our Purdue vs. High Point betting preview.
- What: 2025 NCAA Tournament First Round
- Who: Purdue Boilermakers vs. High Point Panthers
- Where: Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, Rhode Island
- When: Thursday, March 20th, 2025
- Tip-Off: 11.40 am. ET
March Madness is upon us and the Purdue Boilermakers will kick off their NCAA Tournament campaign with a first-round match against the High Point Panthers.
Purdue is the No.4 seed and High Point is the 13th seed. There is significant relevance here as, under head coach Matt Painter, Purdue has suffered numerous defeats to double-digit seeds in recent years.
Okay, the Boilermakers did make it to the national championship match in 2024, eventually falling short against UConn. But the Boilermakers did have Zach Edey last season, a luxury not afforded to them this time around.
In 2023, the then No.1 seed Purdue lost by five points to Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round. There was also the defeat to No.15 Saint Peter’s in 2022, and No.13 North Texas in 2021.
Surely history won’t repeat itself in 2025? Let’s see what the bookmakers say.
Purdue Boilermakers vs. High Point Panthers Betting
The bookmakers say Purdue should be fine. They favor a win for the Boilermakers. The best March Madness betting sites make Purdue -375 to win on the money line, with the High Point Panthers priced at +295.
The Panthers are -110 to win on the points line with an 8.5-point start. Purdue is -110 to win by nine points or more and cover the 8.5-point spread.
The total line is set at 153.5. Both over and under is -110.
You can check out more Purdue Boilermakers vs. High Point NCAAB betting lines on our college basketball betting table. Our NCAAB odds are from the best college basketball betting sites.
| Purdue vs. High Point |  |  |  |
| Purdue | -375 | -375 | -375 |
| High Point | +295 | +295 | +295 |
| | | |
| Purdue (-8.5) | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| High Point (+8.5) | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| | | |
| Over 153.5 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 153.5 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
Purdue Boilermakers
The Boilermakers are 4-6 in their last ten matches. Purdue has averaged 77.1 points and given up 77.1 points per game.
Purdue has an overall record of 22-11 and in the Big Ten, they are 14-8.
The Boilermakers finished the regular season 13-7 and sixth on the points table. The season ended on a low note with an 88-80 loss to Illinois.
Purdue then defeated USC 76-71 in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
The Boilermakers owe a massive debt of gratitude to Trey Kaufman-Renn for the win. He scored 30 points in the match, including the go-ahead free throws with only 28 seconds left on the clock. The Boilermakers scored the final five points of the night to secure the win.
Matt Painter’s luck ran out in the next round when his team lost 86-68 to Michigan. The Boilermakers were blown away in the second half, conceding 14 points more than they scored.
High Point Panthers
High Point is 10-0 in its last ten matches. It has averaged 85.6 points per game and given up 71.2 points on average.
The Panthers finished the regular season first in the Big South with a conference record of 14-2.
High Point has an overall record of 29-5 and after three wins in a row in the Big South Tournament, they now boast a conference-play record of 17-2.
The latest win was against the Winthrop Eagles in the tournament final.
High Point were 39-29 in front at half-time. But a remarkable second-half fightback saw the Panthers rack up 52 points to Winthrop’s 30, with the match finishing 81-69 to High Point.
Purdue Boilermakers vs. High Point Panthers Betting Picks
Purdue vs. High Point is one of the first games to tip off in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and it is also one of the most intriguing.
This matchup sees last year’s beaten finalists Purdue taking on NCAA Tournament first-timers High Point.
Experience has to count for something here, and Purdue is the team bringing that attribute to the table in abundance.
The Boilermakers are also the stronger side on paper. But, given their recent form and history of coming up short in the NCAA Tournament, it would take one hell of a brave punter to back Matt Painter’s team at -375 on the money line.
The Panthers are a tricky team to call. Their second-half fightback against Winthrop was remarkable. But questions have to be asked why they were ten points down at the halfway point.
Will they get away with a similar first-half showing against the Boilermakers? Probably not, has to be the answer. But the Panthers are on a 14-match winning streak, so can’t be dismissed.
We see the Boilermakers going into an early lead and the Panthers fighting back but falling narrowly short.
Our betting pick is the High Point Panthers +8.5 to win against the spread.
See below our list of the best offshore sportsbooks for US bettors in 2025 and choose the one that suits you best:
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