First-round action of the 2026 NCAA Tournament continues in the West Region, where streaking Big South champion No. 12 High Point takes on No. 5 Wisconsin at 1:50 p.m. ET on TBS.
This matchup of high-powered offenses has been pinpointed as a contest where plenty are putting the Badgers on upset watch.
The line movement of this spread has certainly shifted into the Panthers’ favor.
Wisconsin opened as 12.5-point favorites, but that line has fallen to 10.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Over/Under remains at 163.5 points.
High Point vs. Wisconsin prediction, best bet
Any team on a 14-game winning streak entering March Madness cannot be taken lightly. The Badgers will have their hands full on Thursday.
High Point is a cohesive offensive unit that averages 90 points per game, ranking fifth-best in the country, led by the trio of Terry Anderson, Rob Martin, and Cam’ron Fletcher.
The metrics rank their offense much lower than their nightly average suggests, placing 67th on KenPom and 74th in Torvik’s adjusted efficiency rankings, respectively.
One could also argue that the Big South is not exactly the cream of the crop compared to the Big Ten, which is true.
However, High Point has not lost a game since Jan. 14 to Winthrop, whom they beat in the conference Final to secure this at-large bid.
In order for Wisconsin to sustain its footing, it’ll be its backcourt duo of Nick Boyd and John Blackwell leading the way.
Boyd erupted for 38 points in the Badgers’ upset win over Illinois in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals.
He averaged 20.6 points per outing in the regular season, third-best in the conference, while Blackwell supplies nearly 2.8 makes from 3-point range per outing.
The Badgers’ offensive measurables scale out even better, ranking eighth on Torvik and 11th on KenPom, respectively.
Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp give them a reasonable height advantage on the boards, as extra possessions matter come tourney time.
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Boyd and Blackwell must take care of the basketball, but overall, High Point’s lack of a quality win this season could be the downfall of its potential Cinderella bid.
Against Quad 2 opponents this season, the Badgers are 4-1, while the Panthers went 0-2.
I’m taking the Over on points and for the Badgers to run up the scoreboard in this potential track meet.
The Plays: Over 163.5 points (-110, bet365 Sportsbook) | Wisconsin Total Points Over 88.5 (+112, DraftKings)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.
