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Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

NCAAF betting: Spring look at Heisman odds

By Matt Wiesenfeld | Last updated 6/4/23

If you like college football and betting, you should love the Heisman markets. Right now the favorite is +500 (Caleb Williams) and there are a lot of players who can make a reasonable case for the award. Lots of good payoffs too.

In fact, given that it has only been won by the same player twice in history, you can argue that fading the favorite (Williams won last season) is the right thing to do.

Sure it is early and players will get hurt and team narratives will change. Nevertheless, let's take a look at some players who might be worth tying up your money today.

Heisman Bets for right now, Spring 2023

Drake Maye +1500

There is a great chance that Maye is the top pick in the NFL Draft in 2024 (over Williams). That is how good he was last season and he is expected to be even better this year. In terms of being a Heisman candidate though, he is held back by his team which is not expected to be elite this season. Also, his track record is just one season long. He has a great chance to start a campaign with a national TV game against South Carolina to start the season but he needs UNC to be in the hunt in the ACC. He is definitely worth a shot and his price is only going to go down, perhaps more quickly than some of the other players below.

Sam Hartman +1500

While it is hard to win the Heisman if your team is not very good, it is easy to win the award at Notre Dame. They have seven previous winners, tied for the most all-time. The problem for Hartman is that he is likely to see a dip in his numbers due to the scheme change so unless he is having "moments" and the Irish are winning the narrative might seem off. He is still very much worth the price and ND has plenty of showcase opportunities, including home games against Ohio State, USC, and his previous team, Wake Forest.

JJ McCarthy +3000

This one caught my eye because the less experienced Kyle McCord and Drew Allar both have lower odds than McCarthy, who has led Michigan to back-to-back league Big Ten titles and playoff appearances. McCarthy, at this price, feels like a much better value than either of those two players. Michigan is going to be great again and he can be relied upon more with all of the experience he has banked. One knock against him might be that the Wolverines do not have a great schedule to showcase him but that only ups the chance of an undefeated season. Big Blue gets Ohio State at home this season.

Brock Vandagriff +10000

Georgia has won the last two National Championships. They are the favorite to win it again and if they do then you have to think the QB is going to play a role in it. Vandagriff was highly touted and he looks the part. He has been on campus for a couple of years now too, even though he has not played much. This one is more of a true gamble but that payoff is appealing. The schedule does not really help him though. It is a little light by SEC standards. Now is the time if you feel he has a shot. QBs on playoff teams usually do.

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