Published Mar 20, 9:28pm ET by
Gabriel Kozlow - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Mar 20, 9:28pm ET
Updated Mar 20, 9:28pm ET
The High Point Panthers are in uncharted territory as they prepare for their next battle against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the second round of March Madness. After earning their first-ever tournament win, the Panthers now enter this matchup as heavy underdogs against Darius Acuff and the Razorbacks.
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| ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS | -700 |
| HIGH POINT PANTHERS | +500 |
The High Point Panthers entered their game against Wisconsin as 12.5-point underdogs and managed to pull off an 83-82 upset victory. It was a close battle throughout, fueled by an outstanding performance from Rob Martin, who finished with 23 points and 10 assists. Chase Johnston also delivered the go-ahead basket, marking his first two-point field goal of the season.
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High Point’s 31-4 record this season is impressive, but its conference schedule was not nearly as demanding as Arkansas’ SEC slate. The Panthers are led by Terry Anderson, Rob Martin, and Camron Fletcher, and they will need major contributions from all three if they want to have a real chance in this matchup.
The Razorbacks defeated the Rainbow Warriors behind a big performance from Darius Acuff, who finished with 24 points and 7 assists. They entered that game as 15.5-point favorites and went on to win by 19 points. Arkansas won despite shooting just 19% from three-point range. However, they had 41 rebounds, many of them on the offensive glass to win the game.
Arkansas is now riding a five-game winning streak, which includes its conference final win over Vanderbilt a week ago. The Razorbacks have plenty of momentum under their experienced coach, who has helped Darius Acuff truly showcase his potential.
Arkansas enters this game as 11.5-point favorites, with the over/under set at 168.5. The moneyline is -700 for the Razorbacks and +500 for the Panthers. Historically, No. 12 seeds upset No. 4 seeds about 35% of the time, which makes the Panthers a dangerous opponent.
Despite the Panthers’ current 16-game winning streak and their recent upset over the Badgers, we believe Arkansas is the superior team in this matchup. Our pick is the Razorbacks to win and advance to the next round.
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Pick
Arkansas Razorbacks (-700)
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