Oklahoma State Cowboys vs Houston Cougars Prediction, 11/18/2023 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Oklahoma State Cowboys vs Houston Cougars

Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023

Location: TDECU Stadium in Houston, TX

TV: ESPN2

Odds/Point Spread: Cougars (+7)

Total/Over-Under: 59.5

The Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-3) are en route to TDECU Stadium on Saturday, November 18, 2023 where they will try to defeat the Houston Cougars (4-6). Houston is 7-point underdogs. The total is 59.5.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys come into this game with a record of 7-3 for this season. In their last game, the Cowboys played the UCF Knights and took a loss by a final of 45-3. Alan Bowman finished 19/36 with 225 yards through the air. He had a QB rate of 88.6 and ended the contest with 3 picks. Ollie Gordon was the leader on the ground for the Cowboys with 12 carries for 25 yds (2.1 yards per attempt). The Oklahoma State Cowboys ran the football 25 times and tallied 52 yards, which came out to an average of 2.1 yards per attempt. At the end of the game, they tallied 64 plays which gave them 277 yards. Oklahoma State surrendered 12 completions on 19 tries for 299 yds, and a completion rate of 63.2%. Against the run, the Cowboys conceded 293 yards on 51 tries, which is an average of 5.7 yards per rush allowed.

Concerning scoring points, the Oklahoma State Cowboys are averaging 27.9 points per contest. As a unit they average 167.4 yards in the run game ranking this team at 56th in Division 1. The Cowboys have tallied 4,190 total yards for this campaign. When it comes to getting in the endzone, Oklahoma State has earned 11 passing touchdowns and 19 rushing touchdowns. Oklahoma State has accumulated 205 first downs as an offense, and they have been flagged for 52 infractions for 418 yards. They have turned the ball over 14 different times.

Regarding passing yardage, the Cowboys have allowed 2,554 yds which puts them in 114th in Division 1. They have conceded 255.4 yards per outing through the air and giving up a completion percentage of 59.9%. For the year, they have given up 435.8 yards/game which has them sitting 122nd in the country. They have given up 21 touchdowns through the air as well as 14 touchdowns via the ground game. They are giving up an average of 4.7 yards per attempt on the ground and 180.4 rushing yards per game on the year. During this campaign, they have conceded 1,804 rushing yards through 10 games. The Cowboys are sitting in 67th in the nation regarding their opponents scoring, giving up 26.4 points per game.

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The Cougars come into this game with a record of 4-6 for this season. The last time they took the field, the Cougars took a defeat with a final score of 24-14 when they played the Cincinnati Bearcats. Donovan Smith (2 touchdowns) finished the game with 102 yds on 16/28 passing while his quarterback rating was 89.9. He had 3 interceptions and his average yards per pass attempt was 3.6. Donovan Smith carried the ball 13 times for 88 yds, ending the game with 6.8 yards per carry for Houston. The Cougars finished the game with 241 yards and they ran 51 plays (4.7 yds per play). Houston ran the football for 6.0 yards per carry, finishing with a total of 139 yards on 23 carries. Houston surrendered 48 running attempts for 204 yards (4.3 yards per carry). The Cougars secondary conceded a completion rate of 73.9%, surrendering 164 yards on 17 out of 23 through the air.

The Houston Cougars maintain an average of 367.0 yards per game, which is good for 82nd in D-1. The Houston offense has compiled 491 yds of penalties on 54 infractions, which is good for 91st in the country in terms of making mistakes. They maintain an average of 120.0 yards via the ground game and have rushed for 1,200 yards overall. They have given away 10 interceptions while allowing opponents to recover 2 fumbles and they have been able to record 195 first downs. In terms of their scoring prowess, the Cougars are sitting 88th in college football with 24.1 PPG. For the year so far, the Cougars have a total of 2,470 yards through the air together with holding an average of 247.0 passing yards per outing, which has them sitting 53rd in the nation.

The Cougars are relinquishing 30.8 PPG, which has them sitting 108th in D-1. Houston has given up a total of 1,647 yards via the ground game (164.7 yards per contest) and 21 touchdowns via the rush so far this season. Over the course of the season, they have surrendered 308 pts. They have conceded 18 touchdowns through the air as well as 246.3 yards/contest, which puts them in 105th in the nation. The Cougars defense has been on the field for 703 plays, which ranks them 101st in D-1. Their defense has totaled 5 fumbles and 8 picks on the campaign.

Who will win tonight's Cowboys/Cougars college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Cougars +7

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