The top-seeded High Point Panthers will look to begin their march to their first-ever Big South Conference Tournament championship when they battle the Radford Highlanders in a quarterfinal matchup on Friday afternoon. The Panthers (24-7, 13-3 Big South), who won their fifth regular-season title, are 2-0 against Radford this year. The Highlanders (16-16, 5-11 Big South), who entered as the ninth-seed, opened tournament play on Wednesday, defeating eighth-seeded South Carolina Upstate 67-60. High Point is 15-1 on its home floor, while Radford is 4-11 on the road.
The game will tip off at noon ET at the Nido and Mariana Qubein Center in High Point, N.C. Radford is averaging 72.3 points per game, while High Point averages 84.6. The Panthers are 12-point favorites in the latest Radford vs. High Point odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 149.5. Before making any High Point vs. Radford picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the proven SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 18 of the 2023-24 season on a 141-100 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It is also off to a sizzling 26-17 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Radford vs. High Point and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Radford vs. High Point:
- Radford vs. High Point spread: High Point -12
- Radford vs. High Point over/under: 149.5 points
- Radford vs. High Point money line: High Point -866, Radford +578
- RAD: The Highlanders have hit the first-half game total over in 22 of their last 33 games (+11.75 units)
- HP: The Panthers have hit the team total over in 18 of their last 27 games (+7.65 units)
- Radford vs. High Point picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why High Point can cover
Sophomore forward Kimani Hamilton, who played last season at Mississippi State, has started 31 games for the Panthers. He has reached double-digit scoring in six of the last seven games, including a 34-point effort in a 99-74 win over Radford on Feb. 17. He also scored 29 points and grabbed five rebounds in an 86-81 loss at North Carolina-Asheville on Feb. 7. In two games against Radford, he is averaging 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and one block in 35.5 minutes. For the year, he is averaging 15.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals.
Also giving High Point a boost is sophomore Abdoulaye Thiam, who began his collegiate career at Minnesota in 2021-22. The past two years, he has played at High Point, making 60 starts in 62 games, including 31 this season. He has been on a roll of late, scoring 21 or more points in three of the past four games. He scored 25 points and grabbed four rebounds in a 100-96 overtime win over Winthrop on Feb. 28. For the year, he is averaging 12.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 27.7 minutes. See which team to pick here.
Why Radford can cover
The Highlanders have been led by senior guard DaQuan Smith, who is coming off a 13-point and five-rebound effort in Wednesday's win over South Carolina Upstate. He is in his sixth year at the collegiate level, including the past two years at Radford. He played four years at Murray State. In 31 games, including 30 starts, Smith is averaging 15 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 32 minutes. In two games against High Point this season, he averaged 18.5 points, three assists and three rebounds.
Sophomore guard Kenyon Giles has also been a force against High Point this year, averaging 19 points, four assists and three rebounds in two games. He has reached double-digit scoring in six of the past seven contests, and has started 31 games for the Highlanders. In a 58-57 loss to Charleston Southern on Feb. 28, he poured in 18 points, while adding three assists and two rebounds. For the year, he is averaging 14.5 points, 2.8 assists, two rebounds and one steal in 32.2 minutes. See which team to pick here.
How to make Radford vs. High Point picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 151 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 60% of simulations. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Radford vs. High Point, and which side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Radford vs. High Point spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $1,700 on its college basketball picks this season, and find out.
