The 15^th-seed St. Peter's Peacocks (19-13) take on the second-seed Tennessee Volunteers (24-8) in the first round for the Men’s Basketball Championship Midwest Region. This will take place at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, March 21 at 9:20 PM ET. The Vols are heavily favored to win with a point spread at -21.5 (-105).

The Peacocks have won their last three games and have quality momentum coming into this matchup. Their most recent win was a 68-63 outing over the Fairfield Stags in the MAAC Championship Final.

Corey Washington is averaging 16.5 points and 6.6 rebounds a game, leading the Peacocks in both regards. They will need him to be aggressive early to put forth a compelling shot at victory.

The Peacocks are putting up 65.3 points per game and come in ranked 343^rd in that effort in the country. Their efficiency on the offensive end also lags behind, with a rating at 99.5 and ranking of 314^th.

They are allowing 63.4 points to opposing teams each game and rank 11^th for this output, likely because of their slow pace of play. Their efficiency on this end of the floor ranks 23^rd with a rating of 99.6.

The Volunteers are 2-3 in their last five games and need to build up their momentum again. Their last defeat was a 73-56 outing against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, as they only achieved 19 points in the first half.

Dalton Knecht (21.1 PPG) has had an outstanding season, but has some work to do in order to make an impact during this tournament run. If he can have a successful performance here, this will likely spark a positive change in their ability to close out games.

The Vols rank 49^th in the nation in averaging 79.5 points per game. Their efficiency on offense ranks 54^th with a rating of 112.5. As you can see, they have appealing offensive numbers in comparison to the Peacocks.

Defensively, they hold teams to an average of 67.9 points per game and rank 65^th. They also rank 18^th in their overall defensive efficiency with a rating of 96.1. Not only can they score, they can provide steady defense to hold off good offensive teams.

MyBookie has the odds available in this matchup, with the Tennessee Volunteers as 21.5-point favorites to close out the first round. Market insights are giving the Vols a heavy chance to win, coming in at 98.0 percent.

The Vols understand they have to make a statement here after coming up short in the SEC Tournament. Looks fit then to win and cover the spread.