Heisman Odds: Kenneth Walker III The Most Popular Pick to Win the Heisman

Heisman Odds: Kenneth Walker III The Most Popular Pick to Win the Heisman

If you’ve been following this year’s Heisman odds, you know that it’s been an up-and-down contest to this point. We started the year with guys like Spencer Rattler and DJ Uiagalelei at the top of the Heisman odds board, and now those names are nowhere to be seen.

Then, in the middle of the 2021 college football season, it looked like Ole Miss’ Matt Corral was going to make a run for the award, but he ended up fading down the stretch after a couple of tough losses.

Now, here we are in Week 12 of the college football season and the latest Heisman odds tell us it’s a three-horse race as we’re less than a month away from this year’s ceremony. Alabama QB Bryce Young, Ohio State QB CJ Stroud and Michigan State RB Kenneth Walker III are almost certainly going to be this year’s Heisman finalists.

But, there’s an interesting discrepancy between what the oddsmakers think and what the betting public is expecting to happen.

Right now, Bryce Young is the heavy favorite to win the award, according to the Heisman odds. But, Keneth Walker III is the overwhelming favorite when it comes to bets placed and money wagered on this year’s Heisman Trophy winner.

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Heisman Trophy Announcement Date, How To Watch, Finalists

Date: December 12, 2021

Time: 8:00 PM ET

Where to Watch: ESPN

Heisman Finalists: To Be Announced on Dec. 6

Heisman Odds – Young the Favorite, But Walker the Popular Choice

Okay, let’s start out by saying that I made some assumptions when I said that we’ve basically settled on Young, Walker III and Stroud as the finalists. There is a decent chance that Matt Corral also gets invited to the Heisman ceremony, but all you need to do is take a look at the way his odds are trending to know he doesn’t have a realistic path to winning.

A few weeks ago, Corral’s Heisman odds were shorter than +200. He was the favorite to win the award and was putting up eye-popping numbers. But, as we enter Week 12, Corral’s Heisman odds sit at +800 and his team won’t be competing for an SEC title or National Championship. He may end up a finalist, but the chances he wins are slim to none.

The third favorite to win the Heisman, according to the best Heisman odds available for each player, is Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III with +450 odds. Walker is the nation’s second-leading rusher and, to be honest, has the most defining performance of the season in the Spartans win over Michigan.

CJ Stroud is the second favorite, with his Heisman odds at +250, while Bryce Young leads the pack at +200.

It’s worth noting that a couple of weeks ago, Stroud was +2500 and Young’s odds sat about where they are today, so there has been significant ground closed by the Ohio State QB.

Heisman Betting

So, we know who the Heisman favorite is, but that’s not who the public is picking to win the award. That’s because, so far this season, a whopping 24.4% of bets and 27.7% of the money is on Kenneth Walker III to win the Heisman, according to our friends at BetMGM.

Usually, when you look at betting markets that feature a large group of contestants, such as the Heisman, you don’t see players with more than ¼ of the money behind them, especially when they aren’t the favorite, but Walker has something the rest of the contestants don’t, his “Heisman Moment”.

Earlier this year, when unbeaten Michigan State and unbeaten Michigan met in East Lansing, Walker had the game of his career, rushing for 193 yards and five touchdowns. He accounted for every single time the Spartans reached the end zone, as they defeated Michigan, 37-33.

To this point, Young is the second most popular pick in the Heisman market with 10% of tickets and 11.7% of the money on him.

CJ Stroud comes in third when it comes to the money, with 9% of the money on him, but it’s Corral who is the third most bet option at 8.2% of tickets.

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Kenneth Walker III Stats