BetMGM's Biggest Heisman Liabilities May Surprise You

In their first season under head coach Deion Sanders, Colorado went 4-8 overall and 1-8 in conference play. However, their 3-0 start to the season had bettors hooked from Week 1. The pomp and circumstance surrounding the program captured the country's attention, making them the most bet team last season.

Sanders once again made a ton of changes through the transfer portal over the offseason. Because of that, it's hard to know what this team is going to look like this year, especially playing in the Big 12 for the first time. That said, the public doesn't seem to care. Colorado currently holds the highest ticket percentage (12.3%) to make the expanded College Football Playoff and is BetMGM's biggest liability in that market. But that's not the only market that the Buffs have a hold on.

BetMGM College Football Insights: Heisman Trophy

If you look at the Heisman odds at BetMGM, you'll have to scroll down quite a ways to find Colorado QB Sheduer Sanders and WR Travis Hunter. Sanders, the son of head coach Deion Sanders, is listed at 30-1 to win the Heisman while Hunter is even further down the board at 50-1.

Sanders' odds opened at 25-1 but have since moved against him, which is interesting because sharp money is all over him to win the award this year. According to BetMGM, 15.0% of the handle is on Sanders and he's the book's biggest liability to take home the trophy.

Colorado may not have won too many games last year, but Sanders still threw for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns with only three interceptions. If he's able to build on that this year, his odds will inevitably drop as the season goes on.

There are plenty of reasons to think that's a possibility but none greater than the Buffs' effort to improve their offensive line. Colorado gave up the second-most sacks a year ago, making life difficult on Sanders. If that line can keep him upright while allowing him more time to throw, Sanders is going to be in for a big year.

Hunter is the only player taking a higher percentage of the money with 18.0% of the handle on the two-way player. Despite taking more money than his teammate, Hunter is the second biggest liability behind Sanders.

Playing both wide receiver and cornerback makes Hunter one of the most unique players in the country. He only played nine games last year before getting injured but still managed to finish with 721 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, he recorded three interceptions, 30 tackles and two tackles for loss.

The Coach Prime Effect

The Coach Prime effect is real. It's something that will only benefit both Sanders and Hunter when it comes to the Heisman race. Prime's presence generates substantial media attention, which is a great thing for an award that's voted on by actual people. His status as a former NFL player and his ability to attract media attention led to an economic boost for the university. That led to more ticket sales, celebrities showing up at games, and TV Networks airing their pregame shows on Colorado's campus. What that also led to and will continue to lead to this season, is greater visibility for his players. The more Sanders and Hunter are in the media, the greater their chances will be of taking home some hardware at the end of the season.

They need to have the stats to back it up, that part is obvious. But with the Prime effect behind them, I find it hard to believe we're going to get significantly better prices on either player once the season gets underway.