Heisman 2023 Odds: Tips on the Favorites and Best Values for Week 8

The 2023 Heisman Trophy is Michael Penix Jr.'s award to lose.

The Washington Huskies quarterback is the clear favorite to win the Heisman after he led his team to a win over the Oregon Ducks in Week 7.

Penix enters Week 8 with a substantial edge over his fellow Pac-12 quarterbacks, Bo Nix and Caleb Williams, as well as some of the other star players on the top FBS teams.

Williams lost a ton of ground to Penix with his three-interception performance in the USC Trojans' loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Williams, Nix and a handful of other quarterbacks now need to put up ridiculous numbers over the next six weeks and for Penix to struggle at some point for there to be a Heisman competition.

Updated Heisman Odds

Jeff Halstead/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

SEATTLE, WA - OCTOBER 14: Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) sets up to throw during a PAC12 football game between the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies on October 14, 2023 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, WA. (Photo by Jeff Halstead/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

For the latest Heisman odds, go to DraftKings.

Michael Penix Jr. (-140; bet $140 to win $100)

J.J. McCarthy (+1000; bet $100 to win $1,000)

Dillon Gabriel (+1000)

Jordan Travis (+1200)

Jayden Daniels (+1400)

Drake Maye (+1800)

Caleb Williams (+2000)

Bo Nix (+2000)

Drew Allar (+5000)

Blake Corum (+5000)

Quinn Ewers (+5000)

Carson Beck (+5000)

Kyle McCord (+5000)

Jalen Milroe (+5000)

Favorites

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

TUCSON, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 30: Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. #9 of the Washington Huskies warms up before the NCAAF game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium on September 30, 2023 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Penix gained the most separation between a favorite and any other Heisman contenders after his Week 7 performance.

The left-handed quarterback threw for 302 yards and four touchdowns in the come-from-behind victory at home over Oregon.

Penix opened the season with six consecutive 300-yard performances and he has thrown for four scores in the air in three of his last four games.

Penix enters Week 8 with 2,301 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns and just three interceptions.

The Heisman favorite should pad those stats on the final two Saturdays in October against the Arizona State Sun Devils and Stanford Cardinal.

The next two weeks should help Penix reinforce his status as the front-runner to capture college football's most prestigious individual award.

To win the Heisman, Penix must pass three November tests against Pac-12 ranked sides, and if he comes out of those games unscathed, he can finish off his Heisman win in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Best Values

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 30: Drew Allar #15 of the Penn State Nittany Lions throws a pass against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Ryan Field on September 30, 2023 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Everyone else in the Heisman race is playing catch up.

Williams' odds plummeted down from +200 to +2000 after his dreadful outing against Notre Dame.

The USC quarterback has a chance to redeem himself at home against the Utah Utes, a team that owns a three-game winning streak over the Trojans.

Nix and Oregon will get to rebound from the loss to Washington against a Washington State Cougars team that enters Autzen Stadium on a two-game losing run.

Nix and Williams could put up solid numbers in Week 8, but they will not have the most attention on them on Saturday.

The Big Ten clash between the Penn State Nittany Lions and Ohio State Buckeyes could boost the dark horse Heisman candidacies of Drew Allar, Kyle McCord or Marvin Harrison Jr.

Allar, the Penn State quarterback, has been consistent in the pocket with 12 touchdowns and zero interception. A strong showing in a win in the toughest road game of his young career would boost Allar up from +5000.

McCord has thrown for multiple touchdowns in four of the last five contests, and he has not been intercepted since Week 1.

Harrison has four 100-yard performances in the last five games, and he will likely be the target of most of McCord's important passes inside Ohio Stadium.

Harrison is listed at +6000 just beneath Allar and McCord at +5000. He could steal the spotlight from his quarterback with another 100-yard showing.

None of the potential Heisman dark horses will come close to touching Penix's award-winning case in one week alone, but if they put together a strong resume, they could be involved in the conversation if Washington struggles in November.

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Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.