NCAA Tournament: Predicting the Biggest Upset of the Day in Round of 64 Day 1

The NCAA Tournament is officially here, and every year March Madness delivers the kind of chaos that makes this event so compelling. No matter how strong the top teams look on paper, there are always a few underdogs that rise up, take advantage of the moment, and turn a projected mismatch into one of the stories of the day.

So when looking at the bracket and trying to identify which lower-seeded team has a real chance to make that kind of noise, High Point deserves a serious look. The Panthers have a tough draw against Wisconsin, but this is not just a case of picking an upset for the sake of it. When you really dig into the way High Point plays, there are several traits that suggest this team has a legitimate shot to make things very uncomfortable for the Badgers.

At +400 moneyline via Thrillzz, High Point is the best underdog to bet on today in the NCAA Tournament.

Basketball, especially in a one-game setting like the NCAA Tournament, often comes down to which team does the most with its possessions, and that is where High Point has a real path in this matchup. The Panthers are highly efficient offensively, they do a great job of taking care of the ball, and they create extra possessions by forcing turnovers on the other end.

That combination is significant because it is one of the clearest ways for an underdog to neutralize a talent gap. Add in how frequently High Point gets to the free throw line, and it becomes even more clear why this profile is dangerous in March. This is a team that consistently maximizes its own chances while also putting pressure on opponents to waste theirs.

On top of that, this is a group entering the tournament with real momentum and real confidence. High Point has won 14 straight games, captured its conference title, and put together an outstanding overall record while consistently steamrolling the teams in front of it. Yes, that success came against a lower level of competition than what it will see in the NCAA Tournament, and that absolutely has to be acknowledged.

But this time of year, momentum matters. Confidence matters. Belief matters. Teams that know exactly who they are and are playing their best basketball heading into March can be very dangerous, and High Point fits that description.

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Then there is the balance. High Point is not built around one player dominating every possession or carrying an overwhelming share of the offensive burden. This is not a heliocentric team that becomes much easier to defend if a star has an off night.

The Panthers can score inside and out, they have multiple players capable of stepping up, and they present a more complete offensive profile than many mid-major teams in this field. That makes them harder to scheme against on a short turnaround, because Wisconsin cannot simply key in on one option and feel like it has solved the puzzle.

Wisconsin is a very good team and absolutely earned the seed it has in this tournament. But when you look at the profile of a team capable of pulling off an upset in March, High Point checks all the boxes.