The High Point Panthers and the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs face off in the Big South Tournament on Friday afternoon. The game tips off at 12:00 p.m. ET in Johnson City, Tennessee.
The Panthers are listed as 25.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at O/U 158.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction and pick for this Big South Tournament college basketball matchup.
High Point vs. Gardner-Webb prediction, preview
The High Point Panthers were the dominant force in the Big South all season, earning the No. 1 seed in the Big South Tournament. They went 15-1 in Big South play, with that lone loss coming back on January 14th. That means High Point is riding an 11-game winning streak into the conference tournament. High Point is the second-highest scoring team in the country, averaging 90.7 points per game. Only Alabama is averaging more points per game than High Point in college basketball this season. They are likely to win this conference tournament and roll into March Madness on a 14-game winning streak, as long as nobody pulls a big upset.
That upset is incredibly unlikely to come in this game. Gardner-Webb is the worst team in the Big South. High Point only lost one conference game all season, while Gardner-Webb only won one conference game all season. That 1-15 Big South record earned Gardner-Webb the bottom seed in this conference tournament. They needed to win a game over South Carolina Upstate in a play-in game just to get to this quarterfinal. So, Gardner-Webb does have some momentum. Although, South Carolina Upstate is the team that Gardner-Webb beat for its one regular-season conference win. So, the Runnin’ Bulldogs have still only beaten one team in the Big South all season. This will be a massive test against High Point.
High Point vs. Gardner-Webb pick
My best bet for this game is for Gardner-Webb to cover as 25.5-point underdogs. Despite the massive disparity between these teams, this is a massive margin to win by in tournament play. There is a different approach in these tournament games compared to the regular season. If High Point is up by 20 points late in the second half, it should bench its starters. These players will need to play again tomorrow rather than taking three or four days off. There is no reason to run up the score late in the game.
Also, Gardner-Webb has a chance to keep it close early. High Point has its sights set on March Madness. The Panthers know that they can win this game easily. At a neutral site, with the game tipping off at noon, this could be a sleepy, slow start for High Point. Meanwhile, Gardner-Webb played yesterday and won in dramatic fashion. So, the Runnin’ Bulldogs could come out of the gates more fired up, carrying that momentum over to this game. High Point should end up winning comfortably, but Gardner-Webb should keep it within this huge number.
These two teams actually faced off in the first round of last year’s Big South Tournament, which High Point went on to win. In that game, High Point won by 21 points. That same result is all we need here. Only two of High Point’s 15 conference wins came by this big a margin all season. In the tournament, with no need to run up the score, Gardner-Webb should keep it within the number.
