Coming off a tight win over Radford in the Big South Tournament, No. 1 seed High Point takes on a third-seeded Winthrop program in the conference championship that just dismantled UNC Asheville in the semifinals.
Despite the Eagles’ blowout win and the Panthers’ close call, Alan Huss’ team has had Mark Prosser’s squad’s number all season. My High Point vs. Winthrop predictions and college basketball picks for Sunday, March 9 expect much of the same in the Big South Championship.
High Point vs Winthrop prediction
Who will win High Point vs Winthrop?
These are two of the best low-major teams in the country with both worthy of earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. However, while both offenses have been lethal in Big South play, the Eagles’ defense has had issues. The Panthers have proven to be far more consistent on that end of the court and I think that will be the difference in an 83-74 win for High Point.
My best bet
High Point -8 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
This is the third time these teams have played since January 25. In the previous two matchups, the High Point Panthers handled business with an 84-62 win at home as a 9.5-point favorite, and an 88-66 win on the road as a 3-point favorite.
The Panthers have already proven they’re clearly the better team this season twice in two different environments, so rocking the Winthrop Eagles again like a wagon wheel today at Freedom Hall in Johnson City, TN should be no problem.
Huss’ team has an electric offense led by Kezza Giffa, Kimani Hamilton, and D’maurian Williams that ranks 23rd in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom. That’s the highest offensive rating of any low-major program in the country by a long shot.
This offense is 18th in the country in PPG (82.2) and leads Big South play in scoring with 86.8 PPG while having the highest field goal percentage (50.7%) and making the most 3-pointers per game (8.6). The trio of Giffa, Hamilton, and Williams can all hit from behind the arc, too, but the secret weapon may be Chase Johnston.
Johnston, a two-time transfer from Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast, is sixth in the Big South in made 3-pointers per game (2.1) and leads the conference in 3-point percentage (45.5%). That will come in handy against a Winthrop defense that’s eighth in conference play in points allowed per game (81.9) and ninth in 3-point percentage allowed (38.1%).
And while the Eagles’ offense is nearly as explosive as the Panthers’, it’s still just 138th in adjusted offensive efficiency and has to take on a High Point defense that allows the third-fewest PPG in conference games (72.5%) and the lowest field goal percentage (43.1%).
Winthrop has already shown it just doesn’t have the juice to compete with High Point.
High Point vs Winthrop same-game parlay (SGP)
High Point -8
Kezza Giffa Over 15.5 points
Kasen Harrison Over 4.5 assists
A two-time All-Big South guard, Giffa is the Panthers’ biggest scoring threat. The UTEP transfer already has a 25-point performance in the Big South Tournament and should pressure a Winthrop defense that’s 212th in adjusted efficiency.
In his previous game against the Eagles, Giffa put up 16 and shot 62.5% from the floor. In that same game, Kasen Harrison had 21 for Winthrop, but I think he’ll need to take a pass-first approach this time around if the Eagles hope to win.
Harrison has been a flashy facilitator thus far in the Big South Tournament with nine-assist and 11-assist games. As a result, Winthrop won those two matchups by an average of 14 points.
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High Point vs Winthrop odds
High Point vs Winthrop live odds
High Point vs Winthrop opening odds
- Spread: High Point -6.5 | Winthrop +6.5
- Moneyline: High Point -280 | Winthrop +230
- Over/Under: Over 161 | Under 161
Odds courtesy of bet365
High Point vs Winthrop betting trend to know
High Point has covered the spread in eight of its last 11 games. Find more college basketball betting trends for High Point vs. Winthrop.
How to watch High Point vs Winthrop
| Location |
Freedom Hall Civic Center, Johnson City, TN
|
| Date | Sunday, 3-9-2025 |
| Tip-off | 12:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN2 |
High Point vs Winthrop key injuries
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