Heisman Trophy Odds Going Into Week 3

Going into week 3, who have the best odds to win the Heisman Trophy?

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The college football season is in full swing. After two weeks (three with week 0), it’s time to start looking at the lines for the Heisman Trophy. Placing bets right now can give you inherent value, especially if the player you believe will end up with the award. Some players can also have their values over inflated by some impressive performances. Let’s take a look at a few different players and if the value is worth your money.

All odds are via Draft Kings Sportsbook.

USC QB Caleb Williams: +400

It’s easy to see why Williams is at the top of the odds. He won the Heisman Trophy last season and has a loaded group of weapons to work with. Even though they lost Jordan Addison to the NFL, the Trojans added Dorian Singer from Arizona and dynamic freshman Zachariah Branch, who has already taken the college fantasy football community by storm.

+400 is an interesting line for Williams, who already has three games under his belt. The statline is impressive with 13 total touchdowns and 878 yards passing, but he hasn’t done it against good competition yet. What is working in Williams’ favor is having hype going into the year and putting up highlight reel plays consistently. We have only ever seen one player win the Heisman Trophy in back-to-back seasons (Archie Griffin), but it’s worth monitoring this line. I would wait for it to drop after his inevitable average/bad game (everyone has one) and get it closer to +1000.

Bet?: Wait and see

Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.: +900

The Huskies starting quarterback had an argument to be the Heisman Trophy winner in 2022. It wasn’t quite as strong as Williams’, but it was really good. After transferring from Indiana where he was known as a dynamic runner with a cannon for an arm, Michael Penix Jr. made his presence known to the tune of 4,641 yards and 31 touchdowns on 65.3% completions.

This season, Penix came out firing with both of his top wide receivers Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan back and Ja’Lynn Polk having great starts to the season. His 859 yards and eight touchdowns showed that Washington’s offense is a force to be reckoned with. Getting Penix now at +900 before the heart of conference play is here could end up being a nice value for you, but you could get better value later on, especially after the Oregon or USC games.

Bet?: Yes

Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders: +1800

The son of Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders was a four-star recruit who followed his dad to Jackson State. While down there in the FCS, Sanders wowed with his arm and dual-threat ability, but the questions were there as to whether or not he would translate to the FBS. We saw Washington State quarterback Cam Ward have issues in his first season after transferring from Incarnate Word and waiting for them to be answered was completely fair.

Sanders has answered those critics and then some. He threw for 510 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-42 upset over national runner-up TCU and another 393 yards with two passing and one rushing touchdown. When you pair it with the hype that Colorado is getting and the fact that they had a 1-11 record in 2022, I’m a little bit surprised that this number is so low. Bet it now before it spikes even more after the game against Colorado State.

Bet?: Yes

Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.: +2800

You don’t often see wide receivers win the Heisman Trophy, let alone get invited to New York for the ceremony. The last wide receiver to win the award was DeVonta Smith in a weird year for the award with the previous winner being Desmond Howard back in 1991. Could this be the year that a position player wins the award? It’s plausible, especially because his quarterback is suspect.

That’s not to say that Kyle McCord isn’t talented, but he’s no C.J. Stroud or Justin Fields. It’s very difficult for a wide receiver to outshine his quarterback with the advent of analytics and improved quarterback play, but this is a situation where it could happen. So far this season, Harrison Jr. has nine catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns with Western Kentucky up next. That could be a huge game with McCord now having two games under his belt.

Bet?: Yes, but proceed with caution