After a weekend of college football upsets, the Heisman Trophy race needs more clarity than ever as we enter Week 7.
While the Week 6 leader has dropped down the odds board after his No. 1-ranked team suffered a shocking defeat, there’s a running back in Idaho who has darted to the front of the pack after another dynamic game.
The current favorite to win the Heisman at FanDuel is Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, who went from 33/1 going into Week 6 to +220 after rushing for 186 yards and three touchdowns on just 13 carries against Utah State on Saturday.
Let’s assess the evolving Heisman betting market and try to find value on the board.
Week 7 Heisman Trophy odds
| Player | Week 7 Odds | Week 6 Odds | Week 7 Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashton Jeanty (Boise State) | +220 | +3300 | at Hawaii |
| Travis Hunter (Colorado) | +320 | +600 | vs. Kansas State |
| Cam Ward (Miami) | +450 | +500 | Bye |
| Jalen Milroe (Alabama) | +1000 | +200 | vs. South Carolina |
| Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) | +1400 | +1600 | vs. Ohio State |
| Cade Klubnik (Clemson) | +1400 | +2500 | at Wake Forest |
| Carson Beck (Georgia) | +1800 | +2500 | vs. Mississippi St. |
| Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss) | +1800 | +1800 | at LSU |
| Quinn Ewers (Texas) | +2000 | +2000 | at Oklahoma |
| Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State) | +3300 | +5000 | at Oregon |
2024 Heisman Trophy: Week 7 leaders
Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty (+270, Caesars)
Nobody expected Jeanty to be in the Heisman mix before the season, but he has continued to put together a historic run.
In just five games, he has more than 1,000 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns, averaging an absurd 10.9 yards per attempt.
With the benefit of a 13-game season, he’s on pace to break Barry Sanders’ records for rushing yards and touchdowns in a single season. Sanders finished the 1988 campaign with 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns; Jeanty is on pace for 2,681 yards and 42 touchdowns.
The big question is whether a running back who plays in Boise, Idaho, can garner enough votes to win the Heisman.
Conference bias is a significant factor, and there’s little doubt that major media outlets will push for a quarterback from a big-name program. I wouldn’t rule him out entirely, but it’s certainly enough for me not to recommend betting on him, especially at his current short odds.
Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter (+350, bet365)
I expected him to have a massive season, but I didn’t expect the Buffaloes to win enough games for him to be in the mix. However, Colorado proved a ton with its 48-21 win over UCF in Week 5, and the Big 12 has not been tremendously impressive this season.
Eight wins could be on the table for the Buffs, which seemed impossible after their 28-10 loss to Nebraska. We’ll learn a lot Saturday with a home game against No. 18 Kansas State, and if the Buffs can pull off the upset, we’ll need to start looking at Hunter’s candidacy differently.
Miami QB Cameron Ward (+550, ESPN Bet)
Ward remains firmly in the mix after the Hurricanes’ 25-point comeback win at Cal on Saturday.
According to ESPN Analytics, Cal had as high as a 98.9% win expectancy in the third quarter, but Ward led an electric comeback with 437 passing yards and three total touchdowns.
2024 Heisman Trophy: Week 7 value picks
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe (+1100, BetMGM)
If you don’t already have a Milroe ticket for the Heisman, this might be a great time to invest. Just one week after beating a top-ranked Georgia team, Alabama suffered a shocking road loss to Vanderbilt.
Milroe has 20 combined passing and rushing touchdowns this season, and Alabama could be favored in every game the rest of the way. Ranked matchups against Tennessee, LSU and Oklahoma will provide Milroe with tremendous opportunities to impress in front of a national TV audience.
After getting as high as +200 last week, we’re almost back to Milroe’s preseason price of +1400. The Alabama QB is a buy again for me.
Texas QB Quinn Ewers (20/1, FanDuel)
With Texas as the favorite to win the SEC and the second favorite to win the national championship, Ewers is an intriguing option at 20/1 if you’re looking for a longer-odds bet in this market.
He is expected to return to the field for the Red River Rivalry this week after missing the last two games with an abdominal injury, and with a huge matchup against Georgia looming, he has the opportunity to storm back onto the national scene.
Betting on College Football?
The missed time won’t help his candidacy, but this is likely the best price you’ll see on Ewers all season.
He had 691 yards and eight touchdowns through three games, and if he can lead the Longhorns to an undefeated season while putting up big numbers the rest of the way, he’ll be firmly in the mix for the Heisman Trophy.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Jacob Wayne handicaps college football and the NFL for the New York Post. He’s up 84.5 units across the two sports with a 6.27% ROI.