The Men’s Basketball Championship will showcase an appealing first-round matchup in the East Region as the 13^th-seed Yale Bulldogs (22-9) take on the fourth-seed Auburn Tigers (27-7) on Friday, March 22 at 4:15 PM ET. Tune in to check the action at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Washington, as the Tigers are -12.5 (-110) favorites.

The Bulldogs closed their regular season with significant momentum, winning their last two games and going 4-1 in their previous five. Their latest win was the Ivy League Tournament Final against the Brown Bears, a 62-61 buzzer-beating outcome.

John Poulakidas scored 18 points and was a key factor in their success. In addition, Danny Wolf supplies 14.3 points and 9.8 rebounds each matchup, giving them an opportunity to win.

The Bulldogs finished 11-3 in the Ivy League, which is arguably pretty easy to do. In their finale, they faced a 13-18 Bears team, which shows how weak the conference was.

They have been averaging 75.2 points per game and allowing 66.6. This ranks 128^th and 42^nd, respectively, and shows a solid margin of victory. Their efficiency on both ends ranks around the 60’s for their position in the league.

The Tigers have won their last six games, the latest of which was an 86-67 win over the Florida Gators in the SEC Tournament Final. John Broome scored 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead them to success.

During the regular season, Broome averaged 16.2 points and 8.4 rebounds, which led the team in both categories. He will need to be the leader once again in this matchup to be successful for the Tigers.

The Tigers went 13-5 in the SEC, finishing with the second-best record in the conference and capped off the regular season ranking 13^th in the nation. Under Bruce Pearl, they had a successful campaign but must continue to push along.

They are averaging 83.3 points (ranked 13^th in the nation) and giving up 68.0 to Oolong teams (72^nd). Their efficiency ratings on each end of the court put them at 15^th in the nation, showing they can handle themselves accordingly on both sides.

MyBookie offers the betting odds for this matchup, showing that the Auburn Tigers are moderately favored with a 12.5-point spread to start the tournament. Market insights give them a massive opportunity for success, with a 90.2 percent chance at victory.

The Tigers have consistently faced some of the best teams in the country and are better on paper. The Bulldogs have made a good run but must possess what it takes to win here.