As it turned out during the NCAA football season, the only thing that Baker Mayfield had to fear was himself, but even his own stumbles weren't enough to put the Oklahoma Sooners quarterback's Heisman Trophy favorite status in jeopardy. Mayfield's crotch-grabbing antics in a decisive win over Kansas caused his coach Lincoln Riley to briefly bench his star, but it did nothing to slow the growing support for Mayfield's Heisman candidacy.
It became apparent as the season wore on that the Heisman was going to be Mayfield's to lose, and Bovada ultimately decided that he couldn't lose, so on Nov. 21, the sportsbook took down its Heisman Trophy future book, because the odds on Mayfield winning the award were growing ridiculously low, even lower than the opening odds that Floyd Mayweather would destroy UFC champion Conor McGregor in their August boxing match.
While in that instance, plenty of bridge jumpers were willing to wager on the rare possibility of a McGregor victory, eventually driving down the odds on a Mayweather triumph, no one was stepping up to back anyone for the Heisman other than Mayfield. In fact, so much action was being placed on him that ultimately, only two other players even figured in the advanced wagering.
A player such as Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has combined for 4,932 total yards on the ground and through the air this season, was drawing no wagering action.
It was the same for Oklahoma State QB Mason Rudolph, who leads the nation in passing yardage (4,553 yards) and his partner in crime James Washington, who posted an NCAA-best 1,423 receiving yards. and West Virginia wide receiver David Sills V, who caught an NCAA-leading 18 TD passes, also wasn't given consideration.
When the finalists were announced Monday, naturally, Mayfield was one of the trio of players who heard their names called, as was Jackson. Rounding out this triple threat was Stanford Cardinal running back Bryce Love, but in this case, it would not be wise to wager on Love conquering all.
Let's look at why it will be Mayfield who lifts the trophy on Saturday at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City, based on the most recent odds provided by Bovada prior to the wager being taken off the board.
Baker Mayfield (-2000) - Leading the Sooners to an 11-1 record, the Big 12 title and a spot in the NCAA playoffs, Mayfield passed for 41 touchdowns while averaging a whopping 11.76 yards per attempt. He has completed 71 percent of his throws. Mayfield passed for 243 yards and four TDs and ran for another 65 yards as Oklahoma throttled TCU 41-17 in the Big 12 championship game. He and the No. 2-ranked Sooners will face the Georgia Bulldogs in the Rose Bowl, one of the NCAA playoff semifinals.
Bryce Love (+1000) - Love is second in the nation with 1,973 yards gained on the ground, running for 17 touchdowns and an impressive 8.3 yards per carry, despite being plagued by a high ankle sprain for much of the season. He sat out one game due to that ailment, but ran for at least 100 yards in 10 of the 11 games he started.
Lamar Jackson (+4000) - Those are long odds for a fellow who in fact won the Heisman a year ago, which should open a window into how dominant Mayfield has proven to be this season. Jackson actually has compiled more all-around yardage this season than Mayfield, despite being nearly 1,000 yards behind the Oklahoma QB in the passing department. Jackson passed for 3,849 yards, ran for 1,443 and threw 42 TD passes. But Louisville's 8-4 record hampered his Heisman candidacy.
Category : Betting Picks
Tag : Baker Mayfield , Bryce Love , Heisman Trophy Candidates , Lamar Jackson , Mason Rudolph
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