Heisman Trophy Odds Update: Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa Leads Pack
The Alabama Crimson Tide are 9-0 straight up and 6-3 against the spread this season while averaging 51.3 points per game on offense. Tua Tagovailoa is the leader of this overpowering offense and has separated himself from the pack as the clear favorite on the odds to win the Heisman Trophy.
Tagovailoa is a -1000 favorite (wager $1000 to win $100) to be awarded the Heisman Trophy at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The sophomore quarterback has a sterling touchdown-to-interception ratio of 27-to-1 and ranks second in the nation in both yards per passing attempt with 12.2 and quarterback rating at 215.2.
Last Saturday's 29-0 win over LSU marked the first time that Tagovailoa appeared in the fourth quarter of a game this season as his Crimson Tide have often been up so many points that his services haven't been needed.
Should Tagovailoa falter at all down the stretch, Oklahoma's Kyler Murray is in the best position to be the beneficiary. Murray has thrown four more interceptions than Tagovailoa, but he ranks slightly higher than the Heisman frontrunner in touchdown passes (31), completion percentage (70.6%), yards per passing attempt (12.3) and quarterback rating (216.6). The junior has also been far better on his feet with 574 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns to Tagovailoa's 172 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
With slightly superior stats and his team still in the running for the Big 12 championship and a playoff spot, taking a shot on Murray at +600 (wager $100 to win $600) may be a more appetizing option to bettors than the heavy chalk on Tagovailoa.
While this currently looks like a two-horse race with Tagovailoa running away with the lead and Murray sitting as the best of the rest, a few other quarterbacks could still potentially end up in the mix in Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins (+1400), Michigan's Shea Patterson (+1400), and West Virginia's Will Grier (+1800).
Should Alabama and Oklahoma stumble out of the College Football Playoff picture and one of these teams win out, their star quarterback could have an argument.
Even longer shots to win on the Heisman Trophy odds include Washington State's Gardner Minshew (+5000), Clemson's Trevor Lawrence (+6600) and Travis Etienne (+10000) and UCF's McKenzie Milton (+10000).
