Did conference championship weekend turn the Heisman Trophy race into a two-man contest? It certainly seems that way based on betting odds, given that Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty has cut into what once seemed the insurmountable lead held by Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter.
Because Colorado didn’t qualify for the Big 12 championship game, Hunter could only watch as Jeanty made his final statement to Heisman voters a big one: 209 yards and a touchdown in the Mountain West title contest last Friday night. As a result, Hunter’s odds of winning the award were slashed from a commanding -10000 last week to -4000 today, with Jeanty remaining second on the board at +1100.
Given that Dec. 9 was the deadline for Heisman voters to submit their ballots, everyone’s body of work is complete. Now we wait for Dec. 14, when college football’s highest individual award is handed out in New York.
2024 Heisman Trophy Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Travis Hunter (Colorado) | -4000 |
| Ashton Jeanty (Boise State) | +1100 |
| Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) | +40000 |
| Kurtis Rourke (Indiana) | +50000 |
| Jalen Milroe (Alabama) | +50000 |
| Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) | +50000 |
Odds as of Dec. 9, 2024
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Heisman Trophy Odds Favorite: Travis Hunter, -4000
Hunter made the media rounds to pump up his Heisman candidacy last week, as Arizona State pummeled Iowa State for the Big 12 title and an automatic berth in the College Football Playoff. The Buffaloes next play Dec. 28 against BYU in the Alamo Bowl, though it’s uncertain whether Hunter will participate given that he’s potentially the No. 1 overall pick in the forthcoming NFL Draft.
If the regular season finale against Oklahoma State was Hunter’s last game with Colorado, he went out with a bang: 10 receptions for 116 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver, and an interception and a tackle as a defensive back. Hunter finished the season second nationally in receiving touchdowns with 14, fifth nationally at 7.7 receptions per game, and tied for 17th in interceptions with four.
Heisman Trophy Odds Value Pick: Ashton Jeanty, +1100
Jeanty meanwhile continued to pound out yards in last week’s 21-7 victory over UNLV in the Mountain West title game, which ultimately clinched the Broncos the No. 3 seed in the College Football Playoff. His 209 yards against the Rebels marked his sixth 200-yard game of the season, and Jeanty leads the nation in rushing with 2,497 yards—837 more than North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, a distant second on the list.
Jeanty’s single-season yardage total is already the fourth-highest ever in major-college football, and he still has at least one game to go—against either Penn State or SMU in the Dec. 31 Fiesta Bowl. He’s within 131 yards of Barry Sanders’ all-time college football rushing record of 2,628 yards, recorded in 1988—when indeed, the Oklahoma State running back claimed the Heisman Trophy.
Heisman Trophy Odds Dark Horse: Dillon Gabriel, +40000
It never hurts to be the quarterback of the unbeaten and top-ranked team in America, a fact which has certainly helped Gabriel remain on the fringes of Heisman Trophy consideration. And the Oregon quarterback made the most of that position in last weekend’s Big 10 title game, when he had perhaps his best outing of the season—completing 22 of 32 attempts for 283 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-37 victory over Penn State.
That’s a heck of a stat line against a high-quality opponent, but it’s still too late to help Gabriel vault over the two leading contenders in the Heisman race. The Oregon quarterback, who stands second nationally in completion percentage and eighth in yards per game, will have to be content with the No. 1 overall playoff seed and a date against either Ohio State or Tennessee in the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl.
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Last 10 heisman trophy winners
| Year | Winner | Preseason Odds | Closing Odds | Preseason Favorite (Odds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Jayden Daniels | +1000 | -1200 | Caleb Williams (+475) |
| 2022 | Caleb Williams | +800 | -2500 | CJ Stroud (+400) |
| 2021 | Bryce Young | +900 | -3500 | Spencer Rattler (+550) |
| 2020 | DeVonta Smith | +6600 | -200 | Justin Fields (+450) |
| 2019 | Joe Burrow | +4000 | -12500 | Tua Tagovailoa (+250) |
| 2018 | Kyler Murray | +3000 | +700 | Tua Tagovailoa (+400) |
| 2017 | Baker Mayfield | +700 | -1800 | Sam Darnold (+500) |
| 2016 | Lamar Jackson | +10000 | -1350 | Deshaun Watson (+450) |
| 2015 | Derrick Henry | +2500 | -465 | Trevone Boykin (+650) |
| 2014 | Marcus Mariota | +425 | -1500 | Marcus Mariota (+425) |
| 2013 | Jameis Winston | +600 | -15000 | Teddy Bridgewater (+450) |
| 2012 | Johnny Manziel | N/A | -1000 | Matt Barkley (+300) |
| 2011 | Robert Griffin III | +2800 | -1000 | Andrew Luck (+325) |
| 2010 | Cam Newton | N/A | -450 | Mark Ingram (+450) |
| 2009 | Mark Ingram | N/A | -250 | Tim Tebow (+225) |
By now, everyone is aware that LSU Tigers' Jayden Daniels was named the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner. But did you know his odds to win the Heisman Trophy were +4000 by Week 2?
Below are the opening and closing odds for every Heisman Trophy winner dating back to 2009. You can find all the Heisman Trophy winners listed here.
nCAA Schools with the most heisman winners
| School | Number Of Winners | Latest Winner |
|---|---|---|
| USC Trojans | 8 | Caleb Williams (2022) |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | 7 | Troy Smith (2006) |
| Oklahoma Sooners | 7 | Kyler Murray (2018) |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 7 | Tim Brown (1987) |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | 4 | Bryce Young (2021) |
| Auburn Tigers | 3 | Cam Newton (2010) |
| Army Black Knights | 3 | Pete Dawkins (1958) |
| Florida Gators | 3 | Tim Tebow (2007) |
| Florida State Seminoles | 3 | Jameis Winston (2013) |
| Michigan Wolverines | 3 | Charles Woodson (1997) |
With Reggie Bush's award being reinstated this year and Caleb Williams snatching the award a couple of years ago, the Trojans now hold the most Heisman Trophy winners (8).
Heisman trophy betting trends
- Since 2013, five Heisman Trophy winners were selected first overall at the NFL Draft (Jameis Winston, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow, Bryce Young).
- Cam Newton remains the only double-transfer Heisman winner in history. Newton started his collegiate career in Florida, then transferred to Blinn Junior College and then joined Auburn to top it all off.
- Five of the last six Heisman-winning quarterbacks were transfers.
- Eight Heisman Trophy winners of the last decade were all quarterbacks. The two exceptions were two Alabama products, WR Devonta Smith (2020) and RB Derrick Henry (2015).
Making A Futures Bet
A futures bet is a wager made on events or milestones that will happen in time. The Heisman bet is a form of futures betting because you are making a pick based on an outcome determined at the end of the NCAA football season. The trophy is given out in mid-December and if you want to get a bigger payout, it’s best to lock in your bets sooner rather than later so you can take advantage of better odds. The closer it gets to Heisman voting, the more the odds will change.
How To Read Heisman Trophy Odds
The above chart features the odds for each top player in college football. At your sportsbook of choice, the betting lines would look something like this:
- Quinn Ewers +500
- Carson Beck +800
- Jalen Milroe +1000
This means that Ewers is the favorite since he has the lowest odds and the highest chance of winning the prop, according to oddsmakers. If you were to bet $100 on Ewers and he won, you would get a payout of $600 – your original $100 is returned along with your winnings of $500.
On the other hand, if you strongly believe that Jalen Milroe is going to win the Heisman at Alabama, a winning $100 bet on him would yield $1,100 – your $100 comes back along with your prize of $1,000.
Our Odds Calculator will show you how much you’d win based on the odds and amount bet.
Handicapping Your Heisman Odds Bet
We have the goods to ensure that you can make smart picks. Check out our college football pages to give you the edge over other bettors:
• Odds
• Futures
• Scores
