Heisman Trophy Odds Week 13: Will Ashton Jeanty Catch Travis Hunter?
After 12 weeks of the college football season, Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter is a heavy, odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Hunter’s Heisman Trophy odds stand at -350, ahead of Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty (+400) and Miami QB Cam Ward (+1500). With Hunter in such firm control of the race, according to the odds, is it worth taking a bet on anybody else?
Click any odds in this article to bet on the Heisman Trophy.
Heisman Odds: Week 13
How Did Hunter End Up Ahead?
Before the season kicked off, Hunter opened at 65-1 to win the hardware. Most Heisman Trophy winners are preseason longshots despite the inclination to bet on top quarterbacks. Winners usually come from teams with 10+ wins, play quarterback, and meet various touchdown thresholds. But Hunter has bucked trends across the board — most notably defying unofficial criteria that the winner must play QB — and has redefined what a Heisman Trophy winner could be.
The only previous defensive player to win the award came from two-way player Charles Woodson in 1997. However, even Woodson’s numbers pale compared to Hunter’s true two-way ability. When comparing the three leaders, graphics have often cited the number of snaps Hunter played this season (1,197 and counting).
This has received widespread criticism, often from those lobbying for Jeanty or Ward, but it’s an incredible feat. Hunter ranks 14th in receiving yards and has played the 64th most snaps defensively, too (among corners).
Colorado’s team production helped Hunter along the way. The Buffs opened with a lined 5.5 over/under on regular-season wins but exceeded that figure by Week 9 and project for 9.2 RSW ahead of Week 12. Colorado also leads the Big 12 odds boards with two weeks to go.
Visibility is a big part of Heisman voting. After all, there are 870 voters for this award, and many are disconnected from the game (since the Heisman Trophy offers lifetime voting). So, the names voters hear the most about and see the most often stick in their minds.
Is Anyone Else Worth Betting On?
Odds imply Hunter, Jeanty, and Ward will be the three finalists this year. Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke is 30-1, and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, the favorite at multiple points this year, is 40-1. The odds say neither of these quarterbacks has a chance at New York, much less the hardware.
But is that true?
There’s no set number of Heisman finalists. In each of the last five years, four finalists have made the trip to New York City; 2017 and 2018 saw only three, and 2016 featured five. Chances are, if Oregon finishes atop the Big Ten and is ranked No. 1 in the country, Gabriel will receive an invite to NYC. Rourke has a big opportunity to improve his standing this weekend against No. 2 Ohio State. A win there likely would send him above Ward and even with Jeanty, probably somewhere in the 6-1 to 10-1 range.
Cashout-friendly books may offer some small value in taking a position on Rourke or Gabriel if you intend (and can) cash out for a net positive. But riding the ticket to close may be a fruitless effort. Hunter seems pretty locked in.
The other angle to taking one of the longshot quarterbacks this late in the game is that Colorado loses at least one game down the stretch. Kansas has been playing much better football lately, but the Buffs are favored on the road. CU will then finish up with a dreadful Oklahoma State team, currently 0-7 in Big 12 play.
What About The Other Two Finalists?
Since rocketing up odds boards, Jeanty has leveled off. At one point, the Boise State star topped the odds, peaking at +110. However, a ho-hum 3.9 yards per carry and one touchdown against UNLV stunted his progression (even though Jeanty did finish with 128 yards). Boise State also dropped in performance. Those lobbying against Jeanty argue that 28-7 and 28-21 wins over Hawaii (4-7) and Nevada (3-8), respectively, just don’t cut it.
Ward dropped after Miami lost to Georgia Tech in Week 11. Despite the loss, Ward threw for nearly 350 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. However, such is the nature of Heisman voting, as team performance often overrides individual effort. Let’s take a look at a comparison of the five players listed here:
| Travis Hunter | Ashton Jeanty | Cam Ward | Kurtis Rourke | Dillon Gabriel | |
| Heisman Odds | Travis Hunter -550 on Bet365 | Ashton Jeanty +750 on BetMGM | Cameron Ward +1400 on DraftKings | Kurtis Rourke +50000 on BetMGM | Dillon Gabriel +6600 on BetMGM |
| Team Record | 8-2 | 9-1 | 9-1 | 10-0 | 10-0 |
| Team SOR | 21 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 1 |
| Team Remaining SOS | 33 | 87 | 39 | 4 | 9 |
SOS: Strength of schedule, per ESPN FPI
Aside from a conference championship game, which Jeanty and Ward are nearly locked into playing and doesn’t count toward current remaining SoS numbers, Boise State and Miami have the weakest schedules remaining. Hunter has a weaker slate than Rourke or Gabriel, so taking a flier on either to sell high may be worth a look at a cashout-friendly book — but since Hunter is already such a strong favorite, there’s no value in taking him now.
Betting on Jeanty or Ward may be a donation to your local sportsbook.
- Join TheLines.com’s free sports betting Discord — with over 4,000 community members and our staff sharing ideas daily.
Latest College Football Betting News
RELATED ARTICLES
