Each week, I’ll be diving into the Heisman Trophy odds to try and help you find some in-season opportunities to get involved in this market. I’ll do that by highlighting some of the players that are trending up or down, and I’ll also look at some big games ahead on the schedule. Last week, Miami quarterback Cam Ward moved back to the top of the oddsboard with a huge performance in a win over Duke. However, Travis Hunter and Colorado didn’t play in Week 10, so we’ll see what the market looks like next week. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel is also lurking, and his performance against Ohio State was the most impressive of any of the contenders this season. With all of that in mind, keep reading for my Week 11 Heisman Trophy betting market update.
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(All odds from DraftKings Sportsbook)
Heisman Trophy Odds
These are the Heisman Trophy odds going into Week 11:
- Cam Ward, Miami (+200)
- Travis Hunter, Colorado (+220)
- Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (+290)
- Ashton Jeanty, Boise State (+500)
- Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (16-1)
- Kurtis Rourke, Indiana (22-1)
- Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (35-1)
- Jalen Milroe, Alabama (50-1)
- Cade Klubnik, Clemson (60-1)
- Garrett Nussmeier, LSU (60-1)
For the entire list of Heisman Trophy odds, go to DraftKings Sportsbook!
Trending Up: Cam Ward moved from +270 to +200 after throwing for 400 yards and five touchdowns in a win over a Duke team that has a rock-solid defense. An undefeated season is now looking like a certainty for Miami, and Ward’s numbers are absolutely Heisman worthy. So, it definitely makes sense that Ward is the betting favorite here. However, I should note that I’d still be leaning Dillon Gabriel at this point. I’m just not sure how anybody can prefer Ward over Gabriel, as Oregon plays in a much better conference and has a high-profile win over Ohio State. But I’m well aware that I’m in the minority in thinking that.
Travis Hunter also moved from +330 at the time this column was published last week to +220 this week. However, I have been writing this on Monday and he was actually the betting favorite on Tuesday. So, this wasn’t as big of a week-to-week move as it might seem. Colorado didn’t play in Week 10.
Kurtis Rourke is now 22-1 and sixth on the oddsboard in the Heisman market. Last week, he was outside the top 10. I’m not sure Rourke has a real shot at convincing voters he deserves this award over some of the bigger names ahead of him, but it makes a lot of sense that he’s in the mix now. The Ohio transfer is the leader of an Indiana team that should make the College Football Playoff, and his numbers are spectacular this year.
Trending Down: If you’ve been reading this column and hoping I’d shut up about Cade Klubnik, your time has come. Klubnik played a bad game against Louisville last week, completing just 33 of his 56 attempts for 228 yards and throwing just one touchdown pass. Overall, his QBR in the game was just 45.2 and the Tigers lost by 12 as double-digit favorites. Klubnik is now 60-1 to win the award after having been 20-1 last week. He’s completely done as a Heisman candidate, as the Clemson offense was miserable in the team’s two losses. While some of that is on offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, Klubnik simply wasn’t good enough. It also seems like the Tigers will be left out of the 12-team College Football Playoff.
Ashton Jeanty also saw another drop from Week 10 to Week 11, going from +400 to +500 to win the Heisman Trophy. For the second week in a row, Jeanty put up good numbers in a Boise State win. He rushed for 149 yards and two scores against San Diego State. However, Jeanty can’t afford to be good. He needs to be exceptional. I’m not sure Jeanty has the ability to win voters back now. It’s pretty clear that people prefer the undefeated quarterbacks, as well as the phenomenal two-way play of Hunter. But Jeanty is so good that you can really never say never. Perhaps he’ll have a few more 200-yard games the rest of the way. Then, he could get a shot at revenge against UNLV in the Mountain West Championship Game. He’ll need some help in order for that rematch to happen, as Colorado State is still undefeated in conference play. But it’s not impossible. And a 200-yard game against the Rebels might be enough to win voters back after his 128-yard performance against them on October 25.
Week 11’s Biggest Games
Miami at Georgia Tech – 12:00 pm ET
Georgia Tech hasn’t been all that impressive this season. The team’s win over Florida State in Week 0 aged as poorly as humanly possible, and it’s not even a guarantee that the Yellow Jackets will be bowl eligible this year. However, Georgia Tech did have a bye week to prepare for this game, and winning at Bobby Dodd Stadium won’t be easy for Miami. That said, this is one of the few challenging games remaining on the Hurricanes schedule. But Georgia Tech is just 92nd in the nation in Dropback EPA per play allowed (0.042), so it’s going to take some serious overachieving for the Yellow Jackets to slow down Cam Ward here. Realistically, this should be another game in which Ward pads his stats. And it’s not like they need padding. He’s second in the nation in passing yards (3,146), first in passing touchdowns (29) and fifth in Passer Rating (175.1). He’s also PFF’s fourth-ranked passer.
Michigan at Indiana – 3:30 pm ET
Kurtis Rourke only had to miss one game with his injury, and he threw for 263 yards with four touchdowns and no picks in his return. Rourke has now thrown for 2,204 yards with 19 touchdowns and only three picks this season, and he’s actually PFF’s second-ranked passer this year. Rourke has really put together one heck of a season, and Indiana is still undefeated. Now, let’s see what Rourke can do in a meeting with Michigan. The Hoosiers are finally on the national radar, making this a massive game for Rourke and the program. If he can put up some big numbers in a win, he might actually have a shot at this. Indiana faces Ohio State in two weeks, and that will give him the stage he needs to actually get in the conversation.
Colorado at Texas Tech – 4:00 pm ET
I’m not sure Travis Hunter’s Heisman Trophy case can survive another loss. The same goes for Shedeur Sanders’ slim hopes of getting back in the race. Well, Texas Tech just went into Ames and earned a 23-22 road victory over a previously unbeaten Iowa State team. This Red Raiders team can play, and winning in Lubbock isn’t easy. So, this is a dangerous spot for the Buffaloes. However, it’s also an opportunity — especially for Hunter. The Red Raiders are 30th in the nation in EPA per play (0.046), so a good defensive showing from Hunter would mean a lot this week. Texas Tech has also been pretty solid when it comes to passing defense, so a big receiving day would also be impressive.