Sunflower State Showdown Sees Wildcats Host Jayhawks

Marcus Foster had a big day against Texas. Can he lead the Wildcats to a rare victory over Kansas?

In the latest installment of the Sunflower State rivalry, Kansas State hosts No. 8 Kansas in Manhattan, Kan., Monday night.

Tip-off at Bramlage Coliseum is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET.

Having dominated the head-to-head series over the past three decades, Kansas (18-5, 9-1 Big 12) will be expected to emerge victorious against its archrival. But Kansas State (16-7, 6-4 Big 12) may not be the pushover some expect.

The Jayhawks have won 48 of their last 51 meetings with the Wildcats, including the last six.

But Bruce Weber’s K-State side sent a message this past weekend, making short work of No. 15 Texas at Bramlage Coliseum.

Considered by some to be the biggest threat to Kansas’ 10thstraight conference championship, the Longhorns found themselves down big early on, before the Wildcats ran out 74-57 victors.

The victory marked the Wildcats’ 12th straight home win. Barring a shock loss to Northern Colorado on opening day, Marcus Foster and company would be unbeaten at home this season.

Foster had a career night against the Longhorns, scoring 34 points as the Wildcats snapped Texas’ seven-game winning streak. He’ll look to have another big night on Monday.

Kansas made a statement of its own on Saturday, defeating West Virginia 83-69 at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan.

Andrew Wiggins led the Jayhawks with 19 points while Joel Embiid added 11 points and 12 rebounds despite getting in foul trouble. Wayne Selden, Jr. tallied 17 points while Tarik Black had 11 points off the bench as he spelled Embiid.

The Jayhawks went on to victory, and remained perfect against the Mountaineers, who joined the Big 12 ahead of last season.

With No. 7 Cincinnati falling to Southern Methodist on Saturday, the Wildcats can realistically expect to climb at least one place when the updated AP Top 25 poll is released later today.

But can Bill Self’s side get past a K-State side that could so easily be a banana peel on the Jayhawks’ road to the Big 12 title?

Kansas had no problems dispatching its Sunflower State rival when the two sides met in Lawrence on January 11.

Wiggins scored 22 points that night while Embiid had 11 points and nine boards. Selden added 20 points on 7 of 10 shooting as the Jayhawks dominated every aspect of the game.

Things could be different in the Little Apple though.

While K-State has won 12 straight at home, Kansas has posted a meagre 4-3 record in true road games. That number is a little deceptive though; two of those losses came early in the year and the Jayhawks are 4-1 on the road in conference play.

That one loss came against Texas though; the team the Wildcats dismissed so easily this past weekend. Granted, Texas at home is a different prospect to Texas on the road, but there’s plenty of room for those niggling doubts to fester.

Kansas Jayhawks vs. Kansas State Wildcats odds for 02/10/2014

As the dominant side in this rivalry, Kansas opened as the favorite but the spread was a conservative 3.5 when unveiled to the public.

Kansas has won 28 of its last 30 trips to Manhattan. The Wildcats will be looking to repeat their successes of 2008 and 2011.

Some sportsbooks have seen the spread increase to 4.

Kansas State (14-7-0 ATS) has fared better against the spread than Kansas (13-10-0 ATS) this season, and have covered in 11 of the last 14. The Wildcats have been particularly strong at home, where they’ve notched an 11-4-0 ATS record.

However, as with its straight up record, much of Kansas’ woes against the spread came early on in the year. The Jayhawks have covered the spread in eight of their last 10.

The Jayhawks have an historical edge against the spread too. The side from Lawrence has covered in its last six meetings against K-State, and 13 of the last 16.

At time of publication, the over/under had yet to be released. When it is unveiled, the over is looking like the smart bet.

Kansas (14-8-1) has favored the over while K-State (6-15-0) has favored the under this season. But four of the last six head-to-head meetings have seen the total go over, while four of the last six Sunflower State rivalry games played in Manhattan have also seen the total go over.

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