The 2019 college football season kicked off Saturday, Aug. 24. As the best players in college football put up huge numbers each week, betting odds to win the Heisman Trophy constantly change.
Clemson and Alabama are the overwhelming favorites to win the 2020 national championship. It just so happens those two teams also had the top Heisman Trophy candidates and favorites to win this year’s Heisman in Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence and Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa. However, several QBs made up some ground in the early weeks of the 2019 season, while Lawrence seemingly fell out of contention, setting up an enticing race for the award.
College football Heisman Trophy futures wagers are available at most online sportsbook apps in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Nevada. The odds featured in the table below are from DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook.
College Football Heisman odds 2019
Tua Tagovailoa | Bet now +120 | Bet now +105 |
Joe Burrow | Bet now +250 | Bet now +410 |
Jalen Hurts | Bet now +400 | Bet now +450 |
Jonathan Taylor | Bet now +900 | Bet now +1300 |
Justin Fields | Bet now +1000 | Bet now +1000 |
Justin Herbert | Bet now +6600 | Bet now +6000 |
Jake Fromm | Bet now +8000 | Bet now +7500 |
Trevor Lawrence | Bet now +8000 | Bet now +7500 |
D'Andre Swift | Bet now +10000 | Bet now +10000 |
Sam Ehlinger | Bet now +10000 | Bet now +10000 |
JK Dobbins | Bet now +8000 | Bet now +7500 |
Jerry Jeudy | Bet now +10000 | Bet now +6000 |
Travis Etienne | Bet now +10000 | Bet now +9500 |
All player markets currently offered are at plus-money in terms of odds. This means bettors correctly selecting the eventual award winner will make several times their original wager. In 2016, Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson won the Heisman Trophy and opened at odds near +10000 (100-1). The last two years have seen Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield (+700) win the Heisman in 2017 followed by Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray (+2200), who won the 2018 Heisman after surging past Tagovailoa in the closing weeks of the season.
Quarterbacks have won eight of the last nine Heisman Trophy awards, and the three recent winners are now playing in the NFL and listed in the NFL MVP odds charts. In fact, since 2000, only two non-quarterbacks have won the Heisman Trophy: Derrick Henry (2015) and Mark Ingram (2009) — both Alabama running backs.
How to bet Heisman Trophy futures
By their very nature, odds on futures wagers are subject to varying degree of fluctuation. In the case of player-level futures like the Heisman Trophy, a number of different factors can influence the trajectory of his futures odds as the games unfold week to week. That includes not only performance, results and stats, but also injuries.
Take the example of the current pacesetter at both FanDuel and DraftKings sportsbooks — Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The sophomore has been taking money with his odds dropping and now making him the favorite at +200 at FanDuel and +175 on DraftKings. Clemson is projected to be at least a 13-point favorite in all regular-season games, and bettors believe Lawrence will lead the Tigers offense to even greater heights after capturing the national championship last season while averaging 44.3 points per game. Those who accurately predict Lawrence to win the Heisman this season will win $200 for every $100 they wager on him at FanDuel and $175 for every $100 they bet on him at DraftKings.
How is the Heisman Trophy winner decided?
A total of 870 media members (sports journalists mostly covering college football) from six regions along with 59 former Heisman winners vote on the award. Voters can select three players on their ballot. A first place vote allots 3 points to the player selected, second place gets 2 points and third place gets 1 point.
The Heisman and the AP Player of the Year honor the most outstanding player. The award is given for outstanding performance which best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work. Since 2002, the award has been presented by the Heisman Trophy trust, and was first presented in 1935 by the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City.
Over the last 20 years, just two Heisman winners have played on teams that won fewer than 10 games – Florida’s Tim Tebow in 2007 and Louisville’s Lamar Jackson in 2016. But those two teams each won 9 games. So narrow your list to the projected top teams and review the schedules and players likelihood to put up strong stats with outstanding performances.
Where can you bet on college football futures?
The Heisman Trophy futures markets are available at all legal, regulated sportsbooks. Heisman futures are located behind the college football tab in online sportsbook platforms, under a specific Futures tab. Players are listed along with their corresponding odds at that point in time.