Opening 2019 Heisman Trophy Odds: Tua Tagovailoa Heavily Favored
By Chris Amberley in College Football
Updated: April 8, 2020 at 5:30 pm EDTPublished:
- Tua Tagovailoa is a +200 favorite to win the 2019 Heisman Trophy
- Are Tagovailoa’s short odds worth a bet?
- Who else deserves serious consideration?
Tua Tagovailoa picked the wrong time to have his worst game of the season.
If not for a sub-par performance in the SEC Title game, it could have been Tagovailoa, not Kyler Murray, delivering the Heisman Trophy acceptance speech Saturday night.
Instead, Tagovailoa will likely have to settle for another National Championship and a shot at redemption in 2019.
Who wants to make Tua Tagovailoa the overwhelming favorite, right now, to win the 2019 Heisman Trophy?
(Raises hand along with everyone else.)
— George Schroeder (@GeorgeSchroeder) December 9, 2018
It’s no surprise that Tagovailoa is the early front runner in the 2019 Heisman race, especially since he spent the majority of this season as the favorite in 2018 Heisman odds.
Odds to Win 2019 Heisman Trophy
| Player | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Tua Tagovailoa | Alabama | +200 |
| Trevor Lawrence | Clemson | +550 |
| Jake Fromm | Georgia | +650 |
| Jonathan Taylor | Wisconsin | +700 |
| Travis Etienne | Clemson | +800 |
| D’Andre Swift | Georgia | +800 |
| Sam Ehlinger | Texas | +900 |
| Tate Martell | Ohio State | +1100 |
| Austin Kendall | Oklahoma | +1100 |
| Jerry Jeudy | Alabama | +1100 |
| Rondale Moore | Purdue | +1600 |
| Shea Patterson | Michigan | +1600 |
| AJ Dillon | Boston College | +1600 |
| Adrian Martinez | Nebraska | +2000 |
| Jalen Hurts | Alabama | +2000 |
| KJ Costello | Stanford | +2000 |
| Eno Benjamin | Arizona State | +2000 |
| Kelly Bryant | Missouri | +2500 |
| Khalil Tate | Arizona | +2500 |
| D’Eriq King | Houston | +2500 |
Tua’s Time
In his first full season as Alabama’s starting QB, Tagovailoa has completed 67.7% of his passes for 3,353 yards and 37 touchdowns. He has a 9.25-to-1 TD to INT ratio and a passer efficiency rating of 202.3.
Tua Tagovailoa didn't win the Heisman, but he has still been more than impressive in 2018 so far pic.twitter.com/BzyZn9Iwyx
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 10, 2018
He has five games with at least four touchdown passes and his 42 combined touchdowns are an Alabama record.
He’s also led the Crimson Tide to school records in offensive yards, passing yards, and total points scored.
Tagovailoa’s top three receivers will all return to Alabama in 2019, and his elite accuracy and aggressive nature should give him a strong chance to replicate and possibly even exceed his record setting 2018 season.
Who’s the Best Bet to Win 2019 Heisman Trophy?
Tua Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa is a very deserving favorite, and I could easily see him adding a Heisman Trophy to his resume.
Five passing touchdowns. One rushing score.
Tua Tagovailoa had an Iron Bowl performance for the ages. pic.twitter.com/HuBsuNuSdm
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 24, 2018
But his price is tough to stomach.
At +200, Tagovailoa would need to win the award 33.3% of the time just for you to break even long term. Instead of simply going with the chalk, let’s examine some other contenders that present better value.
Sam Ehlinger
A dual threat QB, Ehlinger threw for over 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns, while rushing for another 13 scores.
https://twitter.com/QuickFiveBlog/status/1068950144106803200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
He’s completed 64.3% of his passes in 2018 and was a big reason Texas returned to the Big 12 Championship game.
Rondale Moore
The Freshman receiver led College Football with 103 receptions and ranked fourth in all-purpose yards (2,048).
Rondale Moore led the nation's receivers in missed tackles forced and yards after the catch pic.twitter.com/oUdkVfospp
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 10, 2018
He also led the Big 10 with 1,164 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, and was named a First-Team All American by the AP.
Jonathan Taylor
College Football’s leading rusher enters bowl season with 1,989 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Jonathan Taylor scores his second touchdown of the night pic.twitter.com/nARZubc6tr
— Bruce Matson (@MetricScout) September 1, 2018
He’s eclipsed 100 yards in all but one game this season, and his 3,966 rushing yards through his first two seasons is the most in FBS history.
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
