On the surface it would seem as though Louisville’s 36-10 loss to Houston on Thursday would open the door wide open for at least one of the stars in the Heisman trophy picture to close the gap on the obvious favorite in Lamar Jackson. However, even after his worst start of the season Jackson actually became a greater Heisman favorite this past week based on the lack of standout performances we saw across the board in Week 12. Here is a look at the updated Heisman trophy favorites according to the sports betting odds heading in to Week 13 of the college football season.
QB: Lamar Jackson, Louisville Cardinal
Heisman Trophy Odds: -5000
A 26-point loss to Houston in which he was sacked 11 times could have hurt Jackson’s Heisman odds but instead it showed us that his overall body of work this season will likely be too good for him to miss out on the award. Jackson has completed 57.1-percent of his passes for 3,109 yards and 28 touchdowns compared to just six interceptions with another 1,367 rushing yards and 19 scores on the ground. Those numbers are off the charts and Jackson will have the opportunity to bounce back with a strong performance at home against Kentucky this Saturday. Jackson’s overall body of work is too strong to deny his Heisman bid so the sportsbooks actually shifted his odds to win the award from -3300 to -5000 this week.
S: Jabrill Peppers, Michigan Wolverines
Heisman Trophy Odds: +1600
San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey and Oklahoma’s Dede Westbrook have certainly put together strong seasons and yet according to the sports betting odds those two names aren’t even among the top five candidates. Right now the most conceivable scenario according to the sportsbooks is that Peppers’ versatility and overall body of work will be enough to actually be Jackson’s biggest challenger for the Heisman. Peppers had five tackles including two for a loss in Michigan’s 20-10 win over Indiana but it’s hard to imagine him doing enough to deserve the Heisman over Jackson right now. He is going to have one heck of a monster game against Ohio State in the season finale if he wants to leapfrog Jackson. It just doesn’t seem very likely at this point in the season.
QB: Deshaun Watson, Clemson Tigers
Heisman Trophy Odds: +3300
Watson put together a strong performance in Clemson’s 35-13 win over Wake Forest as he completed 69.7-percent of his passes for 202 yards and a touchdown along with 47 rushing yards and another two scores on the ground. Watson has completed 66.4-percent of his passes for 3,279 yards and 28 touchdowns so while his rushing numbers haven’t been off the charts it makes sense that he is still in the Heisman picture with the Tigers booking their spot in the ACC Championship game this past weekend.
QB: Jalen Hurts, Alabama Crimson Tide
Heisman Trophy Odds: +3300
Alabama managed to put together a 31-3 win over Chattanooga but the Crimson Tide might have lost to a better team with the effort they put forward on Saturday night. Hurts completed 15-of-21 passes for 136 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 68 yards so his numbers weren’t bad by any means. However, more was expected from an Alabama team that had been blowing out elite competition so that could be one reason why Hurts didn’t make a significant jump. Hurts has completed 64.8-percent of his passes for 2,168 yards and 19 touchdowns with 803 rushing yards and 11 scores on the ground so he should definitely be among the Heisman candidates heading in to the Iron Bowl versus Auburn next weekend.
QB: J.T. Barrett, Ohio State Buckeyes
Heisman Trophy Odds: +10000
Barrett’s position combined with the fact that Ohio State is still in the playoff picture could be the reason why he took the final spot on this list ahead of players like Pumphrey and Westbrook even though he is only available at long odds. Barrett completed just 10-of-22 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 105 yards in a 17-16 win over Michigan State so while the numbers weren’t outstanding it was enough to keep the Buckeyes hopes alive. All eyes will be on Ohio State and Michigan when they meet this Saturday afternoon with Barrett getting another opportunity to put together a memorable performance on a big stage.
