Heisman Trophy Odds & Player Props: Power Rankings and Best Bets for Saturday

As the Heisman Trophy odds race heats up in the back half of the season, we're making our best Heisman contender player props for Week 9, as part of our college football picks.

With two clear QBs atop our Heisman Trophy power rankings, our college football predictions for Week 9 are backing Alabama's Ty Simpson and Indiana's Fernando Mendoza to continue their strong play on Saturday.

🏆 Heisman Trophy odds & power rankings

Our Heisman Trophy power rankings are based on a combination of performance and Heisman Trophy odds, to rank our top 12 Heisman contenders in college football this season.

💰 Heisman player props & best bets for Saturday

These are our three favorite Heisman Trophy player props this week, based on the best college football player prop odds.

🔴 Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana: Over 19.5 rushing yards (-114)

With Indiana taking on UCLA in the Big Noon Kickoff game, the Hoosiers are poised to end the Bruins' three-game winning streak. However, with how well Fernando Mendoza has played this season, his passing props at our best college football betting sites are either inflated or aren't a great value.

Instead, his rushing yards at FanDuel are the best prop to bet, with Mendoza averaging 21.6 rushing yards per game and having topped this total in two of his last three games. UCLA's run defense is the worst in the Big Ten - allowing a conference-high 186 rushing yards per game - and there's no reason to fear the Bruins sacking Mendoza to bring his rushing yards down.

UCLA ranks last in the Power Four in sacks (6), and even during the Bruins' three-game winning streak, opposing starting QBs are averaging 51.3 rushing yards per game and have been sacked just twice. If Mendoza can hit 20-plus rushing yards, a $10 bet pays an $8.77 profit.

🐘 Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama: Over 2.5 passing TDs (+270)

One more big outing could elevate Simpson to the top of the Heisman Trophy odds, with the Alabama star just barely trailing Mendoza. Personally, I've got Simpson above Mendoza already, and with the way I think he'll shine against South Carolina on Saturday, I wouldn't be shocked to see his Heisman odds closer to +250 by Sunday morning.

That's why I'm taking an alternate line on Simpson's passing TDs at DraftKings - this line is set at 1.5 at our best sports betting sites with the odds as short as -158. That implies a 61.24% probability he'll throw at least two touchdowns against the Gamecocks, something he's managed in all seven games this season. But at this price, a $10 bet pays a $27 profit for him to throw for three scores, a feat he's accomplished in three of his last six games. 

No QB in the nation is playing at a higher level than Simpson right now, who ranks top 12 in the country in QBR (82.6), TD passes (18), big-time throws (14), and adjusted completion rate (79.1%). A South Carolina defense that's No. 68 in EPA per pass isn't going to slow him down, which is why I'm also backing his go-to receiver, Germie Bernard, to score with my college football anytime touchdown scorer predictions.

🦆 Dante Moore, QB, Oregon: Over 2.5 passing TDs (+130)

Though I rank Simpson and Mendoza above Dante Moore in my pre-Week 9 Heisman power rankings, I think Moore is by far the best value by the Heisman Trophy odds. He's right there with the top two, and Ohio State's Julian Sayin, but his odds are more than triple there's, and with Oregon playing Wisconsin this week, I'd be betting Moore right now.

The Badgers have been abysmal, with Luke Fickell likely out the door by season's end, with Wisconsin failing to beat a Power Four team thus far. The Badgers just let Sayin have a career day against them at home in Madison, so I don't suspect things will go any better for them against Moore and the Ducks in Eugene - that's why I'm backing Oregon as a 34-point favorite with my college football picks against the spread.

Moore is one of the most aggressive passers in the country, sitting No. 1 in big-time throw rate (8.1%) and No. 4 in TD passes (19). Meanwhile, Wisconsin has been cooked by both Heisman contenders it's faced this season, Sayin and Simpson, with both throwing four TDs against the Badgers. If Moore manages at least three for the sixth time in eight games, a $10 bet at BetMGM pays a $13 profit.