Forget about asking when Georgia running back Todd Gurley will play again. The real important question some want to know the answer to is what does this all mean for the betting odds on the Heisman Trophy and national championship? Not surprisingly, the suspension of one of college football’s best players has quite an impact on the betting odds.
The updated numbers provided by Bovada Friday afternoon show Georgia has dropped from 8/1 odds for the College Football Playoff national championship down to 12/1. But Georgia is not the only team to have its odds altered, perhaps as a result of the Gurley suspension news. Auburn has gone from 6/1 odds for the national championship up to 11/2, the same odds Florida State had. Florida State stuck with 11/2 odds. Alabama’s moved from 10/1 to 9/1 odds. Mississippi State stayed with 16/1 odds, but Ole Miss moved from 14/1 to 16/1. Whether these slight changes in the odds are influenced by the Gurley suspension is anybody’s guess, but these are the odds that have changed just in the past three days.
As for the Heisman Trophy odds, Gurley went from the favorite with 8/5 odds to off the board according to Bovada. That is quite a jump. Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott is now the favorite, moving from 5/2 odds to 2/1. Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall moved from 11/2 to 5/2. Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota improved from 8/1 to 4/1. Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson also saw a nice bump, from 10/1 to 6/1 odds.
Last season’s Heisman Trophy winner, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, moved from 20/1 odds to 22/1 in the past few days. Winston was suspended earlier this season, but for just one game. Gurley may be facing a season-ending suspension.
Of course, this information is just for entertainment purposes.