Heisman Trophy 2021 Picks and Best Bets

• Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler is the Heisman favorite entering the 2021 CFB season
• A longshot has won the trophy in three straight seasons
• See the 2022 Heisman odds and our best bets in the story below

The 2021 College Football season is set to begin on Saturday, August 28th with “Week Zero”. The Heisman Trophy will be awarded to the most outstanding player after the conclusion of the regular season. The voting doesn’t include bowl games or College Football Playoff games.

Oklahoma Sooners’ quarterback Spencer Rattler is favored in the Heisman Trophy odds entering the 2021 CFB season. He’ll look to become the third OU QB in five years to win the prestigious trophy under head coach Lincoln Riley.

Although Rattler is a deserving favorite, there are several other strong contenders who will make the race interesting.

 2022 Heisman Trophy Odds

Odds as of August 21, 2021.

Rattler Is Value Favorite 

Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler is the Heisman favorite at +600 entering the 2021 CFB season. The sophomore pivot is a very solid betting pick after leading the Sooners to a sixth straight Big 12 title as a freshman. Rattler threw for 3,031 yards and 28 touchdowns with just seven interceptions in 2020.

Rattler opened at +300 to win the Heisman, but has seen his odds lengthen due to the emergence of other contenders. What Rattler has that several others don’t is experience. The OU pivot has thrived in high-pressure situations such as the Red River Showdown and the Cotton Bowl.

Oklahma is going to be a powerhouse in 2021 and are top-five in the National Championship odds for good reason. The Sooners are currently on a nine-game winning streak and return a wealth of talent from last year’s squad. OU returns six of their top seven receivers from 2020 and lose just two starters on their offensive line.

The reason to bet Rattler before kickoff is because his price is likely to get shorter. Take the last quarterback to win the trophy as an example. Joe Burrow opened at 200-1 odds to win the Heisman in 2019. By the time he played his biggest games, he wasn’t available anywhere near that price.

Robinson Is Top Longshot

The best longshot bet you can make entering the 2021 season is Texas running back Bijan Robinson. The sophomore is primed to get a monster number of carries this year after a tumultuous Texas offseason. The Longhorns lost starting QB Sam Ehlinger and hired Steve Sarkisian as head coach.

What Robinson did as a freshman was impressive. The youngster rushed for 703 yards and four TDs on just 86 carries in nine games. The arrival of Sarkisian should have bettors salivating on what’s next. Sarkisian coached Heisman winner Reggie Bush at USC and top-five Heisman finalist Najee Harris at Alabama.

Bijan Robinson finds the hole and shows off his insane acceleration. Damn. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/ccjKQYnuk5

— Will Baizer (@WillBaizer) August 19, 2021

Robinson is expected to get around 20 carries per games in 2021 and will be relied on more than he was under previous coach Tom Herman. Bettors are already buying in on the hype, as the Texas running back has seen his Heisman odds improve to +2800 after opening as a heavy longshot.

Iowa State’s Breece Hall is the other running back to keep tabs on, but his ceiling isn’t as high. Iowa State has an excellent defense and returning QB in Brock Purdy. Texas is breaking in a new QB, which gives Robinson a better chance of standing out and taking over games.

Fade Inexperienced Youngsters

While we’ve established Heisman contenders to target, who should bettors be staying away from? Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s CJ Stroud are receiving plenty of hype, but they’ve never started a game in college. Clemson’s DJ Uiagalelei has only started two games. Experience is invaluable and the reason only two freshmen have ever won the Heisman.

According to reports, Alabama QB Bryce Young threw three touchdowns in today’s scrimmage.#RollTide pic.twitter.com/VOwviKUG8F

— Sidelines – Bama (@SSN_Alabama) August 14, 2021

Rattler in 2020 was a prime example of why you should tread lightly with young quarterbacks. Everyone knew Rattler was extremely talented, but he put himself out of the race early on with some rough outings as he got accustomed to the collegiate level.

A quarterback has won the Heisman in nine of the past 11 years, but you should trust someone who is proven. USC’s Kedon Slovis and UGA’s JT Daniels both put up great numbers in 2020 and will have plenty of talent to work with in 2021. They are better value plays than the youngsters who will have hiccups in year one.