Joe Burrow is a virtual lock to win the 2019 Heisman Trophy on Saturday. The LSU quarterback is the biggest favorite we have seen since Troy Smith won the award in 2006, and he could surpass Smith as the Heisman Trophy winner with the second-most first-place votes in history. While Burrow’s play has taken some of the excitement out of this year’s ceremony, there are other ways to put the entertainment back in the evening with these Heisman Trophy betting odds.
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Heisman Trophy odds 2019
- Joe Burrow -30000
- Jalen Hurts +2500
- Chase Young +3300
- Justin Fields +3300
Burrow has been the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy since leading LSU to its first victory over Alabama in eight years back in early November. He has set numerous school and SEC records during his historic 2019 season, and he will join Billy Cannon as the second Heisman Trophy winner in LSU history on Saturday.
Unlike the other finalists for the award, he hasn’t had an off game. Burrow has been sharp throughout the season, and LSU has defeated five different teams ranked in the top 10. The senior quarterback has been the odds-on favorite for over a month as the best player on the best team in the land, and there’s no way that anyone else is named the winner on Saturday.
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So who will finish second in voting?
- Chase Young +120
- Jalen Hurts +120
- Justin Fields +200
This will be the first bit of intrigue on Saturday night. Chase Young has been the best defensive player in the country in 2019, and his performance against Wisconsin and Penn State made him a finalist for the award. He notched a combined seven sacks in those two games, and he has 16.5 sacks on the year.
Young’s profile is probably the largest of the remaining three finalists, but he might split votes with teammate Justin Fields. Fields has thrown 40 touchdowns with just one interception in leading Ohio State to an undefeated season.
Hurts’ support is the biggest mystery of any finalist. He is the only player representing the Big 12, and he should receive votes west of the Mississippi River, but there are two big questions regarding his candidacy.
The first question is whether voters have Oklahoma fatigue. Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray won the Heisman Trophy in 2017 and 2018, and voters might be inclined to vote for other players just to have support someone other than a Lincoln Riley quarterback.
The second question is whether voters will be awestruck by his stats. Hurts posted gaudy numbers in Norman this year, arguably outshining both Mayfield and Murray thanks to his exceptional running ability. He struggled down the stretch though failing to pass for more than 170 yards in his last two regular season games against TCU and Oklahoma State.
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Total first-place votes for Joe Burrow
- Over 805 First Place Votes -500
- Under 805 First Place Votes +300
Only two Heisman Trophy winners have received more than 800 first place votes. O.J. Simpson received a whopping 855 first-place votes in 1968, easily winning the Heisman Trophy over Leroy Keyes and Terry Hanratty, and Troy Smith trounced Darren McFadden and Brady Quinn to claim the Heisman in 2006 with 801 first-place votes.
Since there are 870 Heisman Trophy voters representing six different regions, the under might be a good bet as some voters are likely to go against the grain. Regional ties typically run deep in Heisman voting, and a half dozen players are worthy of votes. In addition to the other three finalists, players like J.K. Dobbins, Jonathan Taylor, Chuba Hubbard, CeeDee Lamb, Travis Etienne, and Trevor Lawrence may receive votes.
Will Joe Burrow break O.J. Simpson’s record of 855 first-place votes?
- Yes +300
- No -500
The best bet on the board is the ‘No’ here. Since there are only 870 voters, Burrow would need to receive 98.4 percent of the first-place votes on Saturday, and that’s very unlikely to happen given the regional biases we have seen in the past.
For example, even though Marcus Mariota was the third biggest winner in Heisman history back in 2014, 37 voters backed Melvin Gordon III and 49 voters took Amari Cooper over the Oregon quarterback. Even players like Trevone Boykin, Jameis Winston, Tevin Coleman, Dak Prescott and Bryce Petty received first-place votes, so Burrow is very unlikely to top The Juice here.