🏀 High Point vs. Wisconsin Prediction & Parlay Today: March Madness Round 1 Picks & Odds

No. 5 Wisconsin hasn’t made it past the tournament’s opening weekend since 2017, while No. 12 High Point enters on a 14-game winning streak this season and brings first-round experience from last year. The two seeds will begin their March Madness tournament at 1:50 p.m. ET (TBS) at Moda Center in Portland, Ore.

My High Point vs. Wisconsin prediction backs the Panthers to cover as a 10-point betting underdog as part of our March Madness predictions.    

🏀 High Point vs. Wisconsin picks & odds today

See all of our experts' college basketball picks based on the latest college basketball odds; picks rated on a 1-to-5 star confidence scale based on betting value.

Total wagered: 2.5 units | Max profit: 2.14 units

🏆 Who will win High Point vs. Wisconsin?

See the latest March Madness odds for every team in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

I predict that Wisconsin will defeat High Point, but it will be closer than expected, making it a potentially fun game to watch during Thursday's early window. I have the Badgers winning by a couple of possessions, hitting enough shots to avoid the scare.

Score prediction: Wisconsin 84, High Point 78

💰 High Point vs. Wisconsin prediction & best bet

Follow all of our college basketball analysis and expert predictions for March Madness.

High Point +10 (-110)

For the second year in a row, High Point has landed a tough matchup as a dangerous double-digit seed. The Panthers play at a high intensity, relying on forced turnovers as a key strength, ranking fifth nationally in defensive turnover rate.

Last year, they faced Purdue's veteran backcourt, which committed only seven turnovers in a 12-point win. This time around, Wisconsin is third in the country in turnover rate on offense.

As was the case last year, you want to back the team with superior talent in a battle of strength vs. strength. The difference is that we are getting +10 for High Point this year, compared to a closing spread of +7.5 against Purdue.

🔥 Best High Point vs. Wisconsin player prop bet

Our March Madness betting trends break down which coaches have been the most profitable in the NCAA Tournament.

Rob Martin Under 16.5 points (-130)

One key note about the Panthers is their heavy rotation—they spread minutes more than most teams. No player logs more than 69.5% of the team’s minutes, including guard Rob Martin, who sits at a 66.3% usage rate.

Martin is averaging 15.3 points per game and taking the most shots for the Panthers. But he's only cleared this scoring line in 14 of his 33 games this year due to his inconsistent playing time and 5-foot-10 stature.

I think Wisconsin has the personnel to contain Martin, which is why this line is 15.5 at most shops. I'll take Caesars' value of 16.5, but I'd play it down to 15.5.

🚀 High Point vs. Wisconsin same-game parlay

Caesars is the only shop to play my High Point vs. Wisconsin parlay, as it offers the best value on the Panthers' spread and the Under on Martin's scoring line. While not all three legs are correlated, I do think that helped increase the payout to +425. Still, this is only worth a sprinkle, as I think this game has a lot more variance than most Round 1 matchups.

💡 How I'm betting High Point vs. Wisconsin: March Madness strategy

The theme of this year's March Madness is that the good teams are so much better, and there's likely to be fewer upsets as a result. This comes after a chalky NCAA tournament last year that saw favorites cover at a high rate.

Between those two aspects, the spreads in some of these matchups are as large as ever. My general theory is that it might be an overreaction, and there could be some additional value on underdogs in Round 1.

This game is the perfect example of that because High Point disappointed as a trendy underdog last year, and now we are getting an additional 2.5 points of spread value. I'm taking it, as I risk about 2.5 units in what could be one of the more entertaining first-round matchups.

📊 Live High Point vs. Wisconsin odds today

Wisconsin opened as a 10.5-point favorite on FanDuel, while the total has dropped from 165.5 to 164.5.

Early-week betting splits can be misleading, as most casual bettors tend to place their wagers closer to tipoff. As a result, I’d expect more action to come in on Wisconsin’s spread and the Over by Thursday, but my lean remains with the underdog and the Under.

📈 High Point vs. Wisconsin betting trends

📺 How to watch High Point vs. Wisconsin: March Madness Round 1

• Date: Thursday, March 19
• Tipoff: 1:50 p.m. ET
• Location: Moda Center (Portland, Ore.)
• TV: TBS
• Streaming: TBS app

🆚 March Madness first-round matchups & previews

Here is the first-round March Madness schedule, and our betting preview:

🏀 March Madness bracket previews: East | Midwest | West | South

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