Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson are the favorites to win the 2017 Heisman Trophy. There are over 40 star players with odds representing many of the marquee programs in the nation. Your alma mater might even have a candidate. While tempting, the Heisman is a bad bet.
Since 2009, there have been 81 players that began the season with +2000 or better odds to win the Heisman per SportsOddsHistory. We will call this group our preseason favorites. In this collection of the most talented players in college football only 23 finished in the top 10 in voting. Just 11 were invited to New York for the ceremony and only one of the preseason favorites actually won the award.
Preseason Favorites
- 28.4% finish in the top 10
- 13.6% are Heisman finalist
- 1 – number of preseason favorites to win Heisman
It is hard to predict which player will win the Heisman. It is even harder to profit off of this bet. The oddsmakers edge on this prop is 46.6% in 2017. The books aren’t giving you true odds, the bet ties up a portion of your bankroll for the entire college football season and there is a chance a player like Lamar Jackson (was off the board or 100/1 in preseason) will come out of nowhere to win it.
Darnold, Mayfield and Jackson seem like good bets to win the Heisman but the odds are against them to be finalists, let alone the actual winner.
2017 Heisman Odds
Player School Position William Hill (2/6) 5Dimes (5/11) BetOnline (8/15)
Sam Darnold USC QB 700 350 350
Baker Mayfield Oklahoma QB 700 700 750
Lamar Jackson Louisville QB 700 750 750
Saquon Barkley Penn State RB 1500 1100 900
JT Barrett Ohio State QB 1000 900 1000
Derrius Guice LSU RB 2000 1300 1200
Deondre Francois Florida State QB 1200 1800 1200
Bo Scarbrough Alabama RB 2000 1500 1400
Jake Browning Washington QB 1200 1500 1600
Jalen Hurts Alabama QB 1500 1500 1600
Quinton Flowers South Florida QB 4000 4000 1600
Trace McSorley Penn State QB 2000 2000 2000
Jarrett Stidham Auburn QB 4000 2500 2000
Josh Rosen UCLA QB 2000 2000 2200
Mason Rudolph Oklahoma State QB 1500 2000 2500
Nick Chubb Georgia RB 3000 2000 2500
Kamryn Pettway Auburn RB 3000 3500 2800
Luke Falk Washington State QB 3000 3500 3300
Shane Buechele Texas QB 4000 4500 3300
Nick Fitzgerald Mississippi State QB 4000 4500 5000
Brandon Wimbush Notre Dame QB 7500 10000 5000
Ed Oliver Houston DT 7500 N/A 6600
Justin Herbert Oregon QB 10000 15000 6600
Ty Johnson Maryladn RB N/A N/A 6600
Sewo Olonilua TCU RB N/A N/A 6600
Calvin Ridley Alabama WR 10000 15000 8000
Mike Weber Ohio State RB 5000 5500 N/A
Royce Freeman Oregon RB 5000 6000 N/A
Jacob Eason Georgia QB 6000 6000 N/A
Will Grier West Virginia QB N/A 6000 N/A
James Washington Oklahoma State WR 6000 6500 N/A
Myles Gaskin Washington RB 7500 10000 N/A
Christian Kirk Texas A&M WR 7500 10000 N/A
Kyle Allen Houston QB 7500 10000 N/A
Brett Rypien Boise State QB 10000 12500 N/A
Shea Patterson Mississippi QB 10000 15000 N/A
Kenny Hill TCU QB 10000 15000 N/A
Derwin James Florida State S 7500 N/A N/A
Wilton Speight Michigan QB 7500 N/A N/A
Arden Key LSU DE 10000 N/A N/A
Dexter Lawrence Clemson DT 10000 N/A N/A
