Travis Hunter opened a 60-1 shot to win the Heisman Trophy preseason, and I was one of many people that told you that was a dumb bet. Well, here we are heading into Week 12 of the college football season, and Hunter sits as a +110 favorite to win the award. Time to raise my hand and say I had this one completely wrong.
Everything has broken perfectly for Hunter to win the award. All of the SEC powerhouse programs are cannibalizing each other, and the one-loss team at the top in Texas has had to play multiple quarterbacks. While it might not be Cam Ward’s fault, Miami finally suffered a loss, which knocked him down the board significantly. Dillon Gabriel remains in the conversation due to Oregon being undefeated, as does Ashton Jeanty due to his video game production for Boise State.
But the main thing that has broken right for Hunter’s chances is simply that Colorado is actually good. The Buffs were 30-1 preseason to win the Big 12, and are now the betting favorites at +140. This is a team that after starting the season 1-0, still had a win total priced at 5.5, meaning a coin flip to make a bowl game. Now we’re talking about College Football Playoff potential if they can finish the season 11-2.
Here’s what the top of the board looks like for Heisman odds at DraftKings Sportsbook entering Week 12:
- Travis Hunter (+110) Colorado
- Dillon Gabriel (+330) Oregon
- Ashton Jeanty (+350) Boise State
- Cam Ward (+700) Miami
- Kurtis Rourke (+1500) Indiana
- Jalen Milroe (+1800) Alabama
- Jaxon Dart (+2000) Ole Miss
- Shedeur Sanders (+4000) Colorado
Hunter has posted 69 receptions for 856 yards and nine touchdowns, while also lining up as one of the best cornerbacks in the country. The best comparison for Hunter is Shohei Ohtani, because he’s becoming the type of generational two-way player that we almost never see. Now, if Colorado loses another game, his odds will take a big hit, but keep in mind that we are coming off a season in which Jayden Daniels won the Heisman on a three-loss LSU team.
I’m not telling you that you need to be backing Hunter now, but given the lack of options, it’s tough to tell you there’s a better bet. Hunter has moved from +130 down to +110 since Week 11 concluded, and has taken 37% of the handle since Saturday to win the award. On the season, Hunter now has more bets (17%) for more handle (21%) than anyone in the field.
If you’re fortunate enough to be on Hunter at a good number, you could fade Colorado on the moneyline moving forward as a way to potentially hedge some off. You could also play some on Gabriel and Jeanty, who look like the two most worthy candidates beyond Hunter.
If you missed the boat on getting in early on Hunter to win the Heisman, you could also look to his NFL Draft props. Hunter sits at +400 to be the No. 1 overall pick this spring. But as long as Colorado gets past a struggling Utah team this weekend, and Hunter has just an average game, we could be looking at an odd-on-favorite for the award next week, meaning laying juice on Hunter to win the award.
Place your College Football bets at DraftKings Sportsbook or by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment.
