2012 Heisman Trophy: Betting Odds for the Top 10 Candidates

The 2012 Heisman Trophy race should be an exciting one, with many high-profile players choosing to finish out their collegiate careers and passing on the NFL for one more year.

Michigan Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson will once again receive plenty of hype of potentially walking away with the hardware, which has caused Bovada sports book to list him as the second choice in the current betting odds.

Let's take a closer look at 10 players who are currently receiving the most attention in the betting market.

Tyler Wilson, Arkansas Razorbacks QB

The Arkansas Razorbacks earned their fourth top-five finish in the Associated Press Top 25 poll in school history, finishing the year with a Cotton Bowl win over the Kansas State Wildcats.

Quarterback Tyler Wilson started all 13 games for the Southeastern Conference squad, throwing for 3,638 yards and 24 touchdowns with six interceptions.

He's a major player in a conference that gets plenty of notoriety.

Betting Odds: 20/1

De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon Ducks RB

Oregon Ducks running back De'Anthony Thomas enjoyed an electrifying freshman campaign, but I'm not sure he'll get the amount of touches that's necessary to win the 2012 Heisman Trophy.

One thing is certain—fans in Eugene are happy enough that Chip Kelly is returning to be the head coach after being pursued by NFL teams.

Betting Odds: 20/1

A.J. McCarron, Alabama Crimson Tide QB

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback A.J. McCarron earned the starting job during the early portion of the 2011 season, ultimately leading to a win in the BCS National Championship Game.

He will not have the luxury of handing the ball off to Trent Richardson next year, which may actually help in giving him more opportunities to throw down the field.

McCarron lacks a certain flair that captures the imagination of the Heisman Trophy voters.

Betting Odds: 20/1

Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina Gamecocks RB

South Carolina Gamecocks running back Marcus Lattimore had his 2011 season cut short due to injury, which may cause head coach Steve Spurrier to be cautious with his carries this upcoming year.

He will need to prove that he's over the knee injury during the offseason in order to get a healthy number of touches in opening the season on the road against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Aug. 30.

Spurrier may need his workhorse early in order to start Southeastern Conference play with a victory.

Betting Odds: 15/1

Aaron Murray, Georgia Bulldogs QB

Georgia Bulldogs signal-caller Aaron Murray started all 13 games last year and finished with a single-season school-record 33 touchdowns.

The Bulldogs stumbled out of the gates in dropping their first two games of the 2011 campaign, but will likely start off this year with a blowout win in hosting the Buffalo Bulls in Athens on Sept. 1.

Oddsmakers are right in placing him above Alabama's A.J. McCarron in the betting odds.

Betting Odds: 15/1

Geno Smith, West Virginia Mountaineers QB

The West Virginia Mountaineers registered a 70-33 blowout win over the Clemson Tigers in the 2012 Discover Orange Bowl, ruining any chance of getting valuable odds on their quarterback.

Geno Smith will be in head coach Dana Holgorsen's system for a second year, which should allow him to throw for astronomical numbers.

Very little value found at the current number.

Betting Odds: 7/1

Landry Jones, Oklahoma Sooners QB

The Oklahoma Sooners will come into the 2012 season with high expectations, and quarterback Landry Jones will receive plenty of preseason hype toward winning this distinguished honor.

He started all 14 games during the 2011 campaign, throwing for 4,624 yards and 30 touchdowns with 16 interceptions.

I'm not a buyer due to the loss of senior wide receiver Ryan Broyles.

Betting Odds: 13/2

Montee Ball, Wisconsin Badgers RB

Wisconsin Badgers running back Montee Ball put up video-game type numbers last season in terms of touchdowns, but it led to only a fourth-place finish in the 2011 Heisman Trophy voting.

I'm not sure the departure of quarterback Russell Wilson is going to help his cause, as it really opened up the offense.

Defenses may be able to stack the line of scrimmage against him in 2012.

Betting Odds: 5/1

Denard Robinson, Michigan Wolverines QB

Michigan Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson always receives plenty of preseason hype in this category, but he has never made it to New York City as a finalist in December.

He will be challenged early in the 2012 campaign with a season-opening contest against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Cowboys Stadium on Sept. 1.

A big performance in that affair would likely make him the favorite in this category heading into a Week 4 tilt at Notre Dame.

Betting Odds: 5/1

Matt Barkley, USC Trojans QB

USC Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley couldn't have been more impressive to close out the 2011 season, which made it surprising that he'd come back for his senior year.

He certainly has the talent around him to put up big numbers in the PAC-12 Conference, while he has the type of coach who would love to have him land a spot in New York City in December.

I expect him to be the 2012 Heisman Trophy favorite heading into the Trojans' conference opener on the road against the Stanford Cardinal on Sept. 15.

Betting Odds: 7/2