Dillon Gabriel Heisman Odds Surge Ahead of College Football Week 1

With college football finally here, many bettors are looking quite seriously at various college football odds markets. 

At BetMGM, those futures include the Heisman Trophy odds market, which is increasingly one of the most popular markets for casual bettors to grab a $5 or $10 ticket. 

As the Week 1 college football schedule unfurls, one name in particular is attracting a lot of attention: Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

Dillon Gabriel Heisman Odds

Entering Week 0, Dillon Gabriel is +700 to win the Heisman Trophy at the BetMGM online sportsbook. 

Gabriel, who transferred to Oregon from Oklahoma after the 2023 season, became the favorite after high-volume action over the summer. 

Bettors Key on Gabriel at BetMGM

When BetMGM opened its 2024 Heisman market in the spring, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck was priced as the favorite. 

At the time, I saw this as the correct player to hang as the favorite. Beck flew under the radar as a playmaker in 2023, in part because head coach Kirby Smart and Georgia are seen as a team that wins with defense rather than offense. 

But Gabriel tops the list of college football quarterback rankings, at least according to adjusted total QBR. Those metrics were likely one factor that drove bettors to him at an opening +800 price just short of Beck.

8️⃣ Days til #Sooner football.

The Dillon Gabriel Legacy Drive 🧬🧬#OUDNA pic.twitter.com/ZjABzdBrMS

— Sooners Insider (@SoonersInsider) August 22, 2024

As a result, Gabriel is the most popular Heisman bet at BetMGM, attracting 9.3% of all tickets and 14.8% of all handle. 

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (8.7% tickets, 9.1% of handle) is the second-most popular ticket with the third-highest percentage of handle. 

Beck, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and his Buffaloes teammate Travis Hunter, who plays cornerback and wide receiver, are also among the most popular wagers. 

Gabriel seems like a strong buy on his merits alone, but Oregon’s offense is also an attractive factor for some bettors. Bo Nix delivered punchlines and dead spots at Auburn, but the Oregon offense shaped him into a Heisman finalist and first-round draft pick.

Now, Gabriel will get his turn as the lead man in Oregon’s offense. Ducks OC Will Stein has quickly become one of the best offensive coordinators in college football, which has had a downstream effect on appetites to bet both Gabriel futures and Oregon football odds as a whole.

As of Aug. 20, Oregon is the sixth-most popular futures bet in the college football national championship odds market. It’s also a big favorite to make the 12-team postseason in the college football playoff odds futures. 

In some ways, Oregon’s college football betting trends are interrelated, since bettors are broadly attractive to different bets on teams that are expected to be good. But Oregon would likely be seen as a top Big Ten contender even if former UCLA quarterback Dante Moore was running the offense in Eugene this year. 

Gabriel’s rise in the Heisman market is tied to both Oregon’s offensive success and his own personal talent, which makes him a compelling favorite to consider as the year begins.