The talk of Week 1 in college football was Deion Sanders and his Colorado stars: Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. With a major upset in their debuts over TCU, bettors are now wondering if Sanders and Hunter are Heisman Trophy candidates. Sanders certainly thinks so.
And at least one sportsbook is moving the odds enough to prevent significant damage, just in case.
Caesars Sportsbook made by far the biggest adjustment on Colorado’s two star players. When using sportsbooks and a market-based approach, there may be some value in the market, particularly on Sanders.
But are we sure we can trust either to become a serious contender? Let’s look at the market while Coach Prime gets his screenshots ready to add to his season-long receipts.
Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter for Heisman?
Sanders carried the load on offense for the Buffaloes, who put up 45 points on the road against TCU. He completed 80.9 percent of his passes for 510 yards with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. Sanders, the son of Deion and transfer from Jackson State, showed a seamless transition in his new home. The 510 yards through the air were more than any game he had at Jackson State, where his high was 438.
Somehow, Hunter did even more than that.
Hunter was on the field for 129 total snaps, playing both offense and defense.
On offense, he was targeted 16 times, hauling in 11 passes for 119 yards. On defense, he finished with three tackles, one interception and a pass breakup.
TRAVIS HUNTER
A STAR IS BORN FOR @CUBuffsFootball 🔥🦬 pic.twitter.com/vz8vhUVrJ4
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 2, 2023
Prior to the season-opener, both players were triple-digit odds to win the Heisman. Remember, Colorado entered the year with a win total of 3.5 at most sportsbooks. This team, with over 80 transfers, was not expected to compete. Did Week 1 show us that the market was wrong?
Caesars doesn’t want to pay to find out.
The lowest odds for both Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter to win the Heisman Trophy are at Caesars. Sanders is +2800 (bet $100, win $2800) at Caesars. But the rest of the market is closer to +5000. FanDuel is the outlier at 100-1 odds, so if you want to get action down on Sanders, FanDuel is the place to do it.
Hunter is down to +2200 at Caesars, while FanDuel is still hanging +6000.
Below are notable Heisman odds, sorted by best available odds. For example, Caleb Williams is listed at +450 at DraftKings and FanDuel, but will be listed at +500 because those are the best odds available at BetRivers. Make sure to line shop.
Updated Heisman Trophy Odds
Via OddsShopper
Caleb Williams, +500 (BetRivers)
Michael Penix Jr., +1000 (Caesars)
Jayden Daniels, +1400 (BetRivers)
Jordan Travis, +1600 (FanDuel)
JJ McCarthy, +1700 (DraftKings)
Cade Klubnik, +2000 (BetRivers)
Sam Hartman, +2000 (FanDuel)
Bo Nix, +2000 (BetRivers, FanDuel)
Quinn Ewers, +2000 (FanDuel)
Drake Maye, +2000 (FanDuel)
Drew Allar, +2500 (BetMGM)
Joe Milton III, +3000 (FanDuel)
Carson Beck, +3000 (DraftKings)
Kyle McCord, +5000 (BetMGM)
Jalen Milroe, +5000 (BetRivers)
Conner Weigman, +6000 (FanDuel)
Dillon Gabriel, +6000 (BetRivers)
Travis Hunter, +6000 (FanDuel)
Kendall Milton, +7500 (Caesars)
KJ Jefferson, +7500 (BetRivers)
Brock Bowers, +7500 (BetRivers)
Marvin Harrison JR, +8000 (FanDuel)
Blake Corum, +8000 (FanDuel)
Shedeur Sanders, +10000 (FanDuel)
Spencer Rattler, +10000 (FanDuel)
For more college football, check out the Betting U Podcast with Ben Rasa and Matt Gajewski as they give their favorite bets each week.
