Oklahoma St vs. Houston Recap: Houston Holds On 35-32, Five Cash

Houston beat Oklahoma State 35-32 in a shootout that saw 1,004 total yards. Conner Weigman threw five touchdown passes for Houston, and the Cougars answered each of Oklahoma State's first three second-half scores with a touchdown. Drew Mestemaker kept the Cowboys close with 365 passing yards, and his 8-yard touchdown to Justin Bowick with 4:54 left cut it to three. Houston then held the ball for the final 10 plays to close it out. Five DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

Houston ML (-192 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Houston came in 5-1, had lost only by 2 at Texas Tech and had won at K-State by 19, while Oklahoma State lost 24-10 at Tulsa. ESPN FPI gave Houston 75% against the 65.8% this price implied. - What happened: Houston won 35-32. It led from the first quarter on and never let Oklahoma State tie it, then ran out the last 4:54 with a 10-play drive. - Worth watching: Houston had the ball for 35:12 and ran 40 times. A team that can control the clock like that late is a sensible moneyline side when the price lines up with the model.

Drew Mestemaker 2+ passing touchdowns (-154 FanDuel / -170 DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Mestemaker had 2+ TD passes in 9 of his last 10, with 3.3 per game over his last 3. - What happened: He threw three: a 2-yard score to Wyatt Young in the third quarter, a 66-yard touchdown to Caleb Hawkins early in the fourth, and the 8-yard throw to Bowick. That cleared the line by 1.5. - Worth watching: Oklahoma State had to throw to keep pace. When the game script points to a chase, his touchdown props are worth a look.

Drew Mestemaker 275+ passing yards (-154 at FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: Mestemaker averaged 315 passing yards a game, had 300+ in four straight and 275+ in 8 of his last 10. A 62.5 total with Houston -4.5 pointed to a shootout. - What happened: He went 22-of-34 passing with 365 yards, 90.5 clear of the line, at 10.7 yards per attempt. Hawkins led the receivers with 125 yards. - Worth watching: That is five straight games at 300+. As long as the totals stay this high, his yardage number keeps a big floor.

Wyatt Young 5+ receptions (-157 DraftKings / -154 FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: Young was Mestemaker's top target with 27 catches and 462 yards in 5 games, and he had 5+ catches in 8 of his last 10. - What happened: Young caught exactly 5 passes for 99 yards, including a 54-yarder and the 2-yard touchdown. It cleared by half a catch. - Worth watching: This one had no room to spare. Hawkins out-caught him with 7 receptions, so the target share is more spread out than it looked coming in.

ALT: Houston over 26.5 team total points (-390 at DraftKings and FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: Houston had scored 27+ in 8 of its last 10 and 5 of 6 this season, and was laying points at home. - What happened: Houston scored 35, 8.5 clear of the number. Weigman's 21-yard touchdown to Amare Thomas with 2:00 left in the third quarter made it 28-17 and put the total over for good. - Worth watching: Houston scored touchdowns on three of its first four second-half possessions before running out the clock. That kind of finishing makes a lowered team total a steady piece.

How the game played out

Weigman went 24-of-33 passing with 343 yards and spread his five touchdowns across four receivers. Thomas caught 7 passes for 126 yards and two scores, and Trent Walker added 7 catches and 104 yards. Oklahoma State turned it over twice, a first-half interception and a third-quarter fumble, and was stopped on downs in the first quarter.

Trends to watch

• Weigman threw 33 times and finished with 343 yards. His passing props deserve a look in games with a total this high.
• Amare Thomas had 126 yards and two touchdowns and is a name to track in receiving yardage and touchdown markets.
• Hawkins caught 7 passes for 125 yards, which makes him a receiving option for Oklahoma State, not just a runner.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. Learn more about the moneyline and player props, or see today's college football board.