High Point vs Arkansas Odds, Spread, Total for 2026 NCAA Tournament Round of 32
By Brady Trettenero in College Basketball
Published:
- #12 High Point pulled off a stunning 83-82 upset over Wisconsin and will face #4 Arkansas in the round of 32
- The Razorbacks cruised past Hawaii 97-78 in their tournament opener behind Darius Acuff Jr.’s 22 points
- Check out the opening High Point vs Arkansas odds for the 2026 NCAA Tournament round of 32
The #12 High Point Panthers (31-4) pulled off the first upset of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, knocking off #5 Wisconsin 83-82 on a Chase Johnston layup with 11.7 seconds left. Their reward? A date with #4 Arkansas (27-8), who demolished Hawaii 97-78 in Thursday’s opener.
The two teams will meet on Saturday, March 21st at Moda Center in Portland, OR, with tip-off time TBD. Online sportsbooks have wasted no time installing the Razorbacks as double-digit favorites in the college basketball odds.
Opening High Point vs Arkansas Odds
Arkansas has opened as 12.5-point favorites with -1650 moneyline odds, giving the Razorbacks roughly a 94% implied probability of advancing to the Sweet 16. High Point is +950 on the moneyline, meaning a $100 bet would return $950 in profit if the Panthers pull off a second straight upset.
The total sits at 170.5, a high number that reflects the pace both teams played at on Thursday. The vig is -110 on every line across the board.
Odds as of March 19th at DraftKings. New customers can claim the DraftKings promo code and get a bonus to bet on college basketball.
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High Point vs Arkansas First-Round Recap
Arkansas looked every bit like a team capable of making a deep run on Thursday. The Razorbacks shot 54.2% from the field, piled up 26 assists and jumped out to a 24-7 lead over Hawaii before cruising to a 19-point victory. SEC Player of the Year Darius Acuff Jr. led the way with 22 points, while five-star freshman Meleek Thomas added 14 in the first half alone.
John Calipari’s squad was dominant inside the arc, converting 27 of 37 two-point attempts and scoring 48 points in the paint. That interior presence could be a nightmare for High Point, which lacks the size to match up with the Razorbacks’ frontcourt.
The Panthers, meanwhile, needed every bit of their late-game magic to take down Wisconsin. High Point trailed by as many as 10 points and didn’t hold a lead larger than three all night. Rob Martin was sensational with 23 points and 10 assists, while Johnston’s four second-half threes kept the Panthers alive. Terry Anderson chipped in 15 points and Cam’Ron Fletcher added 14.
Thursday’s win was the first NCAA Tournament victory in High Point history, in just their second tournament appearance. The Panthers will be riding high, but the gap in competition is significant. Arkansas ranks 15th at KenPom with an adjusted offensive efficiency of 127.8 (4th nationally), while High Point sits 89th with a strength of schedule ranked 328th in the country.
Acuff Jr. is the best player on the floor by a wide margin and a projected top-10 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He averaged 22.9 points and 6.5 assists per game this season while shooting 48.6% from the field and 44.5% from three. If the Razorbacks’ March Madness championship odds are going to shorten, it’ll be because of him.
High Point vs Arkansas Team Stats
Bookmark SBD’s March Madness bracket to track every matchup in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Brady Trettenero
Lead NHL & NCAAF Editor
Brady is the lead NHL and College Football editor at Sports Betting Dime, where he specializes in betting odds and data-driven analysis. Brady has over 10 years experience working in sports media, with work published by outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports.
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