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Heisman Odds After Week 8: JJ McCarthy Makes Huge Move
By Brady Trettenero in College Football
Updated: January 21, 2025 at 8:49 am ESTPublished:
- Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy is now the favorite in the Heisman odds
- Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. slid to second following Week 8
- Read below for the updated Heisman odds following Week 8 of the NCAAF season
Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy is officially the new Heisman Trophy favorite. The junior pivot saw major improvement in his Heisman odds after torching the Michigan State secondary in college football Week 8.
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is also rising in the post-Week 8 Heisman odds, while Washington favorite Michael Penix Jr. has slid to second place after his worst showing of the season. And what’s the latest with reigning favorite Caleb Williams of USC?
The table below displays the updated Heisman odds following Week 8. Further below, find analysis on the movement.
Updated Heisman Odds
| Player (Team) | Odds |
|---|---|
| J.J. McCarthy (QB, Michigan) | +190 |
| Michael Penix Jr. (QB, Washington) | +300 |
| Jayden Daniels (QB, LSU) | +650 |
| Jordan Travis (QB, Florida State) | +750 |
| Dillon Gabriel (QB, Oklahoma) | +750 |
| Bo Nix (QB, Oregon) | +3000 |
| Carson Beck (QB, Georgia) | +3000 |
| Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR, Ohio State) | +4200 |
| Drake Maye (QB, North Carolina) | +5000 |
| Quinn Ewers (QB, Texas) | +6000 |
| Sam Hartman (QB, Notre Dame) | +8000 |
| Jalen Milroe QB, Alabama) | +10000 |
| Caleb Williams, QB (USC) | +10000 |
| Kyle McCord, QB (Ohio State) | +10000 |
| , QB (Oregon State) | +10000 |
Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy is the +190 favorite in the latest Heisman odds, meaning the implied chance he wins is 35%.
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Heisman odds as October 22nd at FanDuel Sportsbook.
JJ McCarthy Heisman Odds
Michigan quarterback entered Saturday as a +1200 longshot to win the Heisman at FanDuel Sportsbook. By the time Michigan’s game had wrapped up, McCarthy was sitting as the second betting favorite to win the Heisman.
McCarthy saw major improvement in his Heisman odds after throwing for a career-high four touchdowns in a 49-0 blowout victory over the Spartans. FanDuel moved McCarthy into their top-two, putting the Wolverines pivot within striking distance of Washington’s Michael Penix Jr.
Once Penix Jr. started struggling against Arizona State later in the night, FanDuel made McCarthy the sole Heisman favorite at their sportsbook. Penix Jr. faded from -125 to +300 after the UW game, while McCarthy improved to +190.
McCarthy’s 1,512 passing yards on the season narrowly place him inside the top-50 in that category, but his 78.2% completion percentage and 195.9 and passer rating are both top-two nationally. McCarthy is also one of only a few remaining undefeated quarterbacks.
It’s unlikely McCarthy will win the Heisman with such a low passing yardage total compared to the top quarterbacks, but he’s certainly putting himself in the conversation. Huge upcoming upcoming games against Penn State and Ohio State will be pivotal for McCarthy’s Heisman chances.
Jayden Daniels Heisman Odds
Another player who bolstered their Heisman odds in Week 8 was LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. The dual-threat pivot is now the third betting favorite at FanDuel following a strong showing against the Army Black Knights in Week 8.
Daniels threw for three touchdowns and ran for another score to lead No. 19 LSU to a 62-0 blowout victory. The former Arizona State pivot went 11 of 15 for 279 yards before giving way to back-up Garrett Nussmeier in the third quarter.
Daniels has losses to Florida State and Ole Miss on his resume, but his individual stats can’t be ignored. Through seven games, Daniels is completing 73% of his passes for 2,294 yards and 22 touchdowns with only three interceptions. He’s also added 515 yards and four scores on the ground.
Daniels’ Heisman campaign could come to a make-or-break moment in Week 10, as that’s when the Tigers will face the Alabama Crimson Tide. With both teams vying for the SEC West crown, this game could have major implications on both the conference championship odds and the Heisman odds.
Other Week 8 Heisman Notes
Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. remains top-two on the Heisman board following Week 8, although he arguably had his worst outing of the season Saturday. Penix Jr. threw two interceptions in a narrow 15-7 win over the lowly Arizona State Sun Devils.
Elsewhere in the Pac-12, reigning champions Caleb Williams faded all the way to +10000 after coming up short in a close loss to Utah. Williams failed to throw any TDs in the game and has now suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of Notre Dame and the Utes.
Rounding out the top-five Heisman favorites are Florida State QB Jordan Travis and Oklahoma pivot Dillon Gabriel. Travis improved from +1500 to +750 after accounting for three TDs in a win over Syracuse, while Gabriel shortened from +800 to +750 after throwing three TDs in a win over UCF.
Brady Trettenero
Lead NHL & NCAAF Editor
Brady is the lead NHL and College Football editor at Sports Betting Dime, where he specializes in betting odds and data-driven analysis. Brady has over 10 years experience working in sports media, with work published by outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports.
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