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The Kansas Jayhawks are 23-4 SU in their last 27 games against the Iowa State Cyclones, but the Big 12 tournament betting odds do not reflect that historical disparity.
The two ranked teams clash on Friday in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. The Jayhawks are currently a 4-point favorite, demonstrating the respect oddsmakers have for the Cyclones in 2014.
However, ISU has skidded to a 5-12 ATS mark in its last 17 games overall, meaning they have been a good team to fade at the sportsbook window.
Kansas had its share of struggles on the road down the stretch of the regular season, going just 1-3 SU and 0-4 ATS over its last four games away from home. It took overtime in Kansas' quarterfinal matchup against Oklahoma State to decide a winner, but the Jayhawks eventually came out on top and covered as a 3.5-point favorite beating the Cowboys by a final score of 77-70.
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Andrew Wiggins led the way with 30 points, showing just how dangerous he can be here in the postseason.
Like Kansas, Iowa State finished the season on a 1-3 SU and 0-4 ATS slump on the road. After starting the season off with a 14-0 SU and 9-2-1 ATS record, the Cyclones went 10-7 SU and 5-12 ATS over the second half of their season.
It keeps them in the mix in the March Madness bracket, regardless of their seed matchup.
The Cyclones can score with the best of them averaging 82.5 points per game (good for fifth best in the nation), but don't play much defense in the process ranking 204th in scoring defense allowing 73.5 points per game. Iowa State's quarterfinals matchup against Kansas State was a characteristic shootout with the Cyclones coming away with a 91-85 win.
With the emphasis that these two teams place on offense, it isn't much of a surprise that four of the last five games and seven of the last nine games in this series have gone OVER the total. Kansas is 4-0 SU and ATS over its last four games against Iowa State, winning the four games by an average margin of victory of 11.3 points.
Kansas usually gets the upper hand in this showdown due to its ability to make more stops on defense. Iowa State will be comfortable shooting out with the Jayhawks, but the Cyclones will need to find a way to contain Andrew Wiggins to come away with the upset.