Winthrop vs High Point 3/4/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

The 7-seed High Point Panthers & 2-seed Winthrop Eagles will square off at Bojangles Coliseum this Friday night in the Quarterfinals of the Hercules Tires Big South Championship.

The 7-seed High Point Panthers (14-17) were able to advance to the Quarterfinals after defeating the 10-seed Hampton Pirates, 84-77, this past Wednesday. High Point allowed Hampton to fight back from a 39-28 halftime deficit to force OT, however, the Panthers were outstanding defensively in the extra period and was able to pull away for the victory after a Zack Austin three-pointer gave High Point an 81-75 lead with 1:27 left in OT. High Point shot 38.0% from the field & 34.8% from beyond the arc while allowing Hampton to shoot 40.4% from the field & 13.3% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Panthers was Zack Austin who had a double-double with 24 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, & 1 steal.

On the season, High Point is averaging 70.1 ppg on 44.6% shooting from the field. The Panthers are averaging 6.5 three-pointers per game on 33.8% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, High Point has been led by John-Michael Wright (18.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.0 spg), Zack Austin (14.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.4 spg, 2.2 bpg), Jaden House (12.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.4 apg), & Bryant Randleman (7.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.5 spg).

Defensively, High Point is allowing their opponents to average 69.8 ppg on 42.9% shooting from the field. The Panthers have a rebound margin of -0.6 and a turnover margin of -1.0.

The Winthrop Eagles finished their regular season with an overall record of 21-8 and earned the 2-seed in the Hercules Tires Big South Championship after finishing conference play with a 14-2 record. Winthrop was led by their offense this season which currently ranks 58^th in scoring offense, 9^th in FG%, & 28^th in 3P-FG%, however, the defense was below average and currently ranks just 215^th in defensive FG% & 186^th in defensive FG%. Winthrop finished their non-conference schedule with a 7-6 record with signature wins over Washington & Furman. Winthrop was outstanding throughout conference play and come into game on an 8-game winning streak.

On the season, Winthrop is averaging 76.0 ppg on 48.9% shooting from the field. The Eagles are averaging 8.8 three-pointers per game on 37.6% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Winthrop has been led by D.J. Burns Jr. (15.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.1 apg), Patrick Good (11.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.2 spg), Cory Hightower (11.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.1 spg), & Drew Buggs (5.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.3 apg).

Defensively, Winthrop is allowing their opponents to an average of 70.7 ppg on 43.3% shooting from the field. The Eagles have a rebound margin of 2.8 and a turnover margin of -0.9.

The Panthers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games & 18-10 ATS overall on the season. The Panthers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall & 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

High Point was able to defeat Winthrop in their only matchup of the season as the Panthers defeated the Eagles by a 65-56 margin at halftime in late January.

Winthrop is a great offensive team that has been playing great over the last month, however, the bulk of the Eagles success came at home (13-0 record) as the Eagles were only a .500 team in road/neutral site games. High Point has two of the best players on the court in John-Michael Wright & Zack Austin and as I think the Panthers will have plenty of success on the offensive end against a below-average Eagles defense, I think High Point keeps this game competitive enough to at worst, cover with the points. Good Luck!