2011 Heisman Trophy Odds & Thoughts

Written by Jake Thompson
Monday, 27 June 2011 20:31

We have some early thoughts on the betting odds for the eventual 2011 Heisman Trophy winner.

College football betting odds on the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner have been released, and Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is the current favorite at a line of 5/2.  Luck finished behind Auburn’s Cam Newton in last year’s Heisman Trophy voting, and his decision to return for another year of college rather than be drafted high has him leading the way currently.  I’m a bit concerned that Stanford lost Jim Harbaugh as Head Coach, and I’m also worried because Luck lost some of his offensive linemen that gave him plenty of time to throw.

Other Heisman Trophy favorites include South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore and Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson at 5/1 odds, and Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones at 6/1.  LaMichael James finished 3rd in the Heisman voting for last year and you can get the Oregon running back at a price of 6/1.  There is a fairly large drop off after those 5 favorites and we’ll take a look and see what player presents the most value when making a bet on the Heisman Trophy winner.

Oklahoma State wide receiver is back for another year with the Cowboys, and he has to be considered after catching 111 passes for 1,782 yards and 20 touchdowns last season.  This team will continue to throw the ball with regularity, and there simply weren’t any defenders that could stop Blackmon last season.  The price on his Heisman hopes is currently at 10/1, and I’d choose him before I’d take short odds on guys like Robinson and Luck.

Although James is getting most of the love from the Oregon team, quarterback Darron Thomas is a serious value bet to win the Heisman Trophy at 30/1 odds.  Thomas threw for 2,881 yards last season with a 30:9 ratio, but also was able to use his legs to accumulate 486 yards and 5 touchdowns.  The Ducks figure to again have one of the best offenses in college football, and James could be overshadowed by Thomas if defensive teams start to key on stopping the running back.

Although USC quarterback Matt Barkley and his Trojan teammates struggled through a poor year, I think there is plenty of value here at 35/1 odds.  USC always has top tier talent, and Barkley should continue to improve after posting a 26:12 ratio last season.  The Trojans have too many five star recruits to struggle as badly as they did last season, and Barkley will be the main man behind the return to dominance.  The Pac-10 simply doesn’t have many elite defenses, and guys like Barkley and Thomas should be able to stockpile statistics while leading successful programs to plenty of wins.

One curious omission from the 2011 Heisman Trophy odds is Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, who surprisingly has no available line currently.  Moore finished last season 4th in the Heisman voting and his Boise State team would have likely gone undefeated for the 2nd straight season if not for a mental lapse in the kicking department.  Moore followed up his 39:3 ratio in 2009 with a 35:6 in 2010, and Boise State brings back plenty of key players while playing a tougher schedule after moving to the Mountain West Conference.  If you can find Moore at anything better than 10/1 odds, I think he makes for a great bet as Boise State looks toward another potentially undefeated season.

2011 Heisman Trophy Odds:

Aaron Murray 40/1

Andrew Luck 5/2

Brandon Weeden 20/1

Case Keenum 20/1

Chris Polk 19/1

Danny O’Brien 65/1

Darron Thomas 30/1

Denard Robinson 5/1

Greg Reid 75/1

Justin Blackmon 10/1

Kirk Cousins 37/1

Knile Davis 17/1

LaMichael James 6/1

Landry Jones 6/1

Marcus Lattimore 5/1

Matt Barkley 35/1

Michael Floyd 25/1

Nick Foles 30/1

Robert Griffin III 17/1

Ryan Broyles 12/1

Trent Richardson 11/1