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Heisman Odds After Week 6: Trevor Lawrence Now Heavy Favorite; Najee Harris Enters Race

Brady Trettenero

by Brady Trettenero in College Football

Updated Oct 17, 2020 · 9:23 PM PDT

Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence throws the football
Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence is heavily favored to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy after Week 6. (Photo by David Dennis/Icon Sportswire).
  • Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence is now the heavy Heisman favorite after Week 6
  • Florida’s Kyle Trask has fallen to +2000, while Alabama’s Najee Harris has entered the race
  • See the updated Heisman Trophy odds after Week 6 along with betting analysis, below

Oddsmakers now believe the 2020 Heisman Trophy is Trevor Lawrence’s to lose. The Clemson QB is now a heavy -110 favorite after leading the Tigers to a big win over D’Eriq King and Miami in Week 6. Ohio State’s Justin Fields is the second-favorite at +600.

Alabama continues to generate plenty of Heisman hype, with three members of the Tide now in the top ten. Senior running back Najee Harris has entered the race after a monstrous outing against Mississippi.

The following table shows the top-15 Heisman favorites at FanDuel after Week 6 of the season.

2020 Heisman Trophy Odds

Player Odds
Trevor Lawrence (QB, Clemson) -110
Justin Fields (QB, Ohio State) +600
Mac Jones (QB, Alabama) +700
Kyle Trask (QB, Florida) +2000
D’Eriq King (QB, Miami) +2500
Najee Harris (RB, Alabama) +2500
Shane Buechele (QB, SMU) +2500
Travis Etienne (RB, Clemson) +2500
Zach Wilson (QB, BYU) +2500
Jaylen Waddle (WR, Alabama) +2500
Kellen Mond (QB, Texas A&M) +4000
Stetson Bennett (QB, Georgia) +4000
Chuba Hubbard (RB, Oklahoma State) +4000
Devonta Smith (WR, Alabama) +5000
Joe Milton (QB, Michigan) +5000

Odds as of Oct.11, 2020.  

Lawrence Reinstates His Dominance 

Tigers QB Trevor Lawrence is pulling away from the pack in the latest Heisman odds after impressing in one of his biggest games of the season. The junior pivot threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns to lead Clemson to a huge 42-17 victory over former Heisman co-favorite D’Eriq King and Miami in Week 6.

Lawrence also added 34 rushing yards and another score on the ground.

Lawrence has thrown for at least three touchdown passes in 17 different games with the Tigers. He’s also now thrown 355 consecutive passes without a pick, surpassing NC State’s Ryan Finley for the second-longest streak in ACC history. Oddsmakers are feeling the hype, as Lawrence went from +400 to -110 at FanDuel after Week 6.

Lawrence saw a major odds bump despite teammate Travis Etienne also impressing against the Hurricanes. The senior RB was an offensive machine, leading the team with eight receptions and racking up 149 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

He saw a significant odds bump, going from +4000 to +2500 at FanDuel.

King, Trask Trending Down

While the two offensive stars at Clemson are trending up, two prominent quarterbacks saw their cases take major hits in Week 6. Miami QB D’Eriq King has plummeted from +600 to +2500, while Florida’s Kyle Trask has fallen from +400 to +2000.

FanDuel was particularly high on King since the start of the season, but they rightfully adjusted his odds after the grad transfer struggled in his first big test of the season in Week 6. King got eaten alive by Clemson’s defense in Death Valley, completing just 42.9% of his passes and getting picked twice.

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Trask, meanwhile, took his first loss of the season in Week 6 against Texas A&M. The difference is that Trask actually looked terrific in this game, going 23-of-32 passing for 312 yards, and four touchdowns. Florida’s lackluster defense cost them the game, and it also didn’t help that star tight end Kyle Pitts was battling a foot injury in the second half.

I wouldn’t count Trask out of the Heisman race despite the upset loss. He’s completed over 70 percent of his passes and thrown for at least four touchdowns in each game he’s played so far. He also has the perfect Heisman underdog story working for him, as he was two-star recruit and doubted throughout high school. These are the stories that media members simply eat up.

Najee Harris Enters Top Five

Alabama RB Najee Harris has entered the top five (six-way tie) in the Heisman odds after going full beast mode in a shootout with Ole Miss in Week 6. The senior had a whopping 206 rushing yards and five touchdowns in a 63-48 victory, including a clutch 16-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Harris was one of the best longshot Heisman bets you could’ve made heading into the season, and that value is disappearing quickly considering he was +4000 at FanDuel after Week 5. Alabama’s defense got exposed against the Rebels, but this is still an SEC powerhouse that remains undefeated this season. The play of Harris is one of many reasons they are a favorite in the National Championship odds.

Crimson Tide QB Mac Jones is also gaining in the odds. He went from +1400 to +700 after turning in another impressive performance in Week 6. The second-year starter threw for 417 yards and two TDs without an interception in the win over Ole Miss.

Jones is a talented QB, but he’s also throwing to some elite receivers in DeVonta Smith, John Metchie III, and Jaylen Waddle. Harris is the better value play simply due to his explosiveness and raw power.

Heisman Analysis After Week 6

Oddsmakers are sold on Lawrence taking home the Heisman in 2020, but his main competitor, Justin Fields, has yet to take the field. The Buckeye pivot got an invite to New York in 2019, while Lawrence missed out. Expect the gap in the Heisman odds to shorten once Fields begins his season on Oct. 24 against Nebraska.

Florida’s defense could cost Trask the Heisman, but his case could be make-or-break on Nov. 7 against Georgia. King, meanwhile, isn’t worth a wager after how he looked against an elite defense. Clemson’s ACC dominance will get in the way of any Heisman case King might have.

In terms of longshots, Harris is worth a look before his odds get even shorter. Alabama still has to play Georgia, LSU, and Auburn before this season is over. The Heisman has become a QB award, but every so often a special player comes along that defies that notion. Harris will get plenty of opportunities to be that guy in marquee matchups.

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