The first round of the West Region for the Men’s College Basketball Championship will feature an appealing matchup. The 13^th-seed Charleston Cougars (27-7) will battle against the fourth-seed Alabama Crimson Tide (22-11). 

The action will occur at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Washington, on Friday, March 22, at 7:35 PM ET. The Crimson Tide have a point spread favoring them at -9.5 (-120).

The CAA Championship Final ended when the Cougars defeated the Stony Brook Seawolves 82-79 in overtime. Reyne Smith scored 23 points to help the Cougars to victory.

Smith is leading their scoring with 12.8 points per game and 41.2 percent shooting percentage from the field. Getting to the foul line will also be critical, as he makes 86.3 percent of his free throws.

They maintain an average of 80.5 points per game, placing them at 35^th nationally. Their offensive efficiency stands at 114.6, ranking 26^th, showcasing a notable advantage in their offensive strategies.

In contrast, their defense limits opponents to 72.5 points per game, positioning them at 204^th. Additionally, with a defensive rating of 103.2, they rank 164^th nationally and show a healthy margin of victory compared to their offense.

The Crimson Tide are coming from a 102-88 blowout loss to the Florida Gators in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals. This was their second loss to the Gators in the last three games, with an eerily similar result (105-87). It is concerning that they could not make adjustments and came out with another bad loss.

Mark Sears (21.1 PPG, 4.1 AST) will need to continue leading this offense in the right direction for them to have a chance here. If they can push the tempo early, it will help set the tone.

They boast the best offensive team in the country, accumulating 90.8 points per game with an efficiency rating of 121.3, which ranks second in the nation. It is more impressive that they did this in the SEC, which is full of good-quality teams.

The Crimson Tide unfortunately give up 81.1 points a game that ranks 356^th and a defensive efficiency rating of 108.4 that ranks 303^rd. This is still a solid margin of victory, but only when their offense works.

MyBookie has the Alabama Crimson Tide as 9.5-point favorites to succeed. On top of that, market insights predict they have a 90.0 percent likelihood of their success. Look for the Crimson Tide to push the tempo and find good scoring opportunities to help them get out of the first round.