With the 2024 Heisman Trophy looking like Travis Hunter’s to lose, sportsbooks are bracing for impact.
Colorado Buffaloes’ two-way star who opened at +3,500 in the Heisman winner market earlier this year at BetMGM is currently listed with incredibly short odds of -10,000 to take home the award this month.
Bettors have been bullish all season on a receiver/defensive back who has caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 31 tackles, four interceptions, and one forced fumble on the other side of the ball to wrap up the regular season.
“Travis Hunter was a very popular selection throughout the offseason as the Colorado faithful believed he could be an impact player on both sides of the ball, leading to a successful season in the Buffaloes’ return to the Big 12,” Joey Feazel, Caesars Sportsbook head of football, told Covers. “Hunter will be a good result for our customers if he wins the Heisman Trophy.”
The sports betting operator isn’t alone. BetMGM has listed Hunter as its biggest liability, ahead of Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, in its weekly Heisman report for multiple months.
A BetMGM spokesperson told Covers on Tuesday that “Hunter and Jeanty are both losers for the sportsbook. We'd love (Oregon quarterback) Dillon Gabriel to win!”
Outstanding duo
No player’s odds in BetMGM’s Heisman Trophy odds market have moved as drastically upward as Hunter’s. In August, Gabriel was a +700 favorite to win the award, followed by Georgia’s Carson Beck (+750), Texas’ Quinn Ewers (+1,000), and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe (+1,000).
Miami’s Cam Ward got into the mix early in the season and was listed as the favorite at one point. However, money kept coming in on Hunter and Jeanty, who have both produced outstanding seasons and gained notoriety while the initial favorites struggled to maintain in the betting market.
Jeanty has rushed for 2,228 yards and 28 touchdowns through 12 games, leading to a lot of Heisman wagers.
The last time Hunter was listed with plus odds was mid November.
Finalists for the Heisman will be announced on Dec. 9 with the presentation ceremony scheduled for Dec. 14.
Betting percentages
Hunter has generated 21% of the handle and 13% of the bets at Caesars, the most of any player listed in the Heisman market.
BetMGM reported that Hunter’s getting 36% of the money, more than double second-place Jeanty’s 17.4%. The Broncos rusher has more wagers with 16.1% of tickets, but Hunter isn’t far behind at 15.5%.
An ESPN BET spokesperson told Covers that liability is nuanced with pricing, but since the Heisman market opened, Hunter has taken 11.1% of the bets and 22.3% of the handle.
Since Nov. 30, however, 93.3% of the handle has come in on Jeanty, who’s listed at +2,500.
DraftKings reported that Hunter leads all players with 21% of the handle. His 18% of wagers is behind Jeanty’s 19%.
