A highly anticipated inaugural clash awaits in the East Region Men's Basketball Championship, featuring the 10^th-seeded Drake Bulldogs (28-6) squaring off against the seventh-seeded Washington State Cougars (24-9) on Thursday, March 21^st, at 10:05 PM ET. The showdown is set to unfold at the CHI Health Center Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska, with the Bulldogs holding a slight advantage as -1.5 (-110) favorites.

The Bulldogs have won their last five games and are coming off of an 84-80 triumph in the MVC Tournament Final over the Indiana State Sycamores. Tucker DeVries balled out, as he had 27 points and five assists to lead them to victory.

DeVries leads their offensive push with 21.8 points and 3.6 assists a game. For many matchups in the tournament, it is appealing to have a player that you can rely on to make buckets when they matter most and be a scoring threat.

The Bulldogs finished second in the MVC by their record of 16-4. With their latest run under their belt, they have the better momentum coming into this matchup.

They rank 35^th offensively in the nation at 80.5 points per game and 131^st for allowing 70.5 points from opponents. This is an appealing margin of victory, assuming their offense can continue to push along.

The Cougars are 3-2 in their last five matchups, with a recent 58-52 defeat against the Colorado Buffaloes in the Semifinals of the PAC-12 Tournament. Isaac Jones led with 13 points, but will need a bigger impact moving forward. 

Jones typically gets 15.4 points and 7.4 rebounds a game, which leads the team in both categories. If he cannot supply a heavy offensive load, they must account for some other player to help push their offense.

The Cougars finished the PAC-12 in second with a 14-6 record and 18^th in the nation overall. However, they are at risk against a dangerous team that knows how to score the basketball and to push the tempo.

While their offense has produced 74.3 points per game, they are allowing 66.9 points from their opponents. This is a solid margin of safety, but they cannot afford to give the Bulldogs any breathing room.

The Drake Bulldogs are 1.5-point favorites in the odds presented by MyBookie. Looking at market insights, they show the Building having a 47.9 percent chance at winning this matchup.

The Cougars are a solid team all around and have the stats to show they can hang with a majority of the better teams in college basketball. However, the tournament lives and dies by teams that have the best momentum and appealing playmakers, which the Bulldogs fit that bill.