Bettors favor High Point to upset Purdue in March Madness

Many sports bettors are showing support for the No. 13 seed High Point to upset No. 4 seed Purdue in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The game will take place on Thursday afternoon. High Point opened as a 9.5-point underdog, but this line has changed. By Wednesday afternoon, it was down to 7.5 points. More than 80% of the bets and 88% of the money wagered is on High Point to cover the spread. High Point's odds to win the game outright are +280, the highest moneyline action in the tournament. The total points for the game is set at 153.5, after dropping from an opening line of 155.5. This season, High Point finished with an impressive record of 29-5. They won both their regular season and Big South conference tournament titles. They score an average of over 82 points per game, led by Kezza Giffa with 14.8 points per game. Purdue, meanwhile, aims to avoid another first-round upset. They lost as a No. 1 seed to Fairleigh Dickinson in 2023. Last year, they bounced back and reached the national title game but lost to UConn. The matchup between Michigan and UC San Diego is the only game receiving more betting action than High Point versus Purdue. Bettors are split on that game, with UCSD attracting significant moneyline bets at +125, while Michigan, a No. 5 seed and 2.5-point favorite, is seeing the most spread bets after winning the Big Ten tournament.