Odds Say Odell Beckham Won’t Be Sentenced to Jail Time, No LSU Players Suspended for Taking Money

• Odell Beckham Jr. was seen handing money to LSU players after they won the 2020 National Championship
• OBJ also slapped the butt of a Superdome security guard on Monday night and is now a wanted man 
• New prop bets in sportsbooks suggest Beckham won’t be arrested and no LSU players will be suspended 

LSU alum Odell Beckham Jr. has been out of college since 2014, but on Monday night at the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, he was one of the biggest newsmakers on and off the field.

It started immediately after the game, when Odell was seen congratulating players from his alma mater by handing them wads of cash. The NCAA doesn’t take kindly to players being compensated for their work. Its bylaws prohibit players from receiving money from boosters and other athletic stakeholders.

Beckham followed up by heading into the LSU locker room and continuing to celebrate with Tiger players. When Superdome security guards entered the locker room and began confronting players, Beckham slapped one of the guards on the butt. That guard filed a complaint with the New Orleans Police Department and, on Thursday, a warrant was issued for Beckham’s arrest.

Odds Any LSU Player Is Suspended by the NCAA

All odds herein taken Jan 16.

The odds currently favor no players being suspended. A few of the notable players seen taking cash from Beckham are ones who are headed for the NFL, which essentially renders the exchanges meaningless to the NCAA.

When it comes to players who will return next year, the fact that this happened out in the open may end up helping them. This wasn’t Odell’s only faux-pas on the night, and LSU has been quick to address the matter, as well as transparently investigate the exchange of cash.

Much like when Ohio State self-reported violations and cooperated with the NCAA in July, there should likely be no significant punishment levied against LSU in this situation.

Odds OBJ Is Sentenced to Jail Time in 2020

Odds taken Jan 16.

Odell is being charged with “simple battery.” In Louisiana, it’s punishable by a fine of no more than $1,000, imprisonment for no more than 6 months, or both. For a player of Odell’s status, the $1,000 fine would be no more than a small inconvenience.

It seems highly unlikely that Beckham would actually serve jail time for a simple slap in the rear end. It was inappropriate, certainly, but it’s tough to imagine an NFL player being put behind bars over that single, small incident. I’m betting “no” if anything.

Over/Under OBJ On-Camera Butt Slaps in Week 1

Odds taken Jan 16

Beckham has been a distraction for most of his NFL career, and the odds slightly favor this incident being in the rearview mirror by the beginning of next football season. However, at -175, it’s anything but a guarantee

This prop is an unpredictable one, and that’s only escalated by the fact that Beckham is involved. This is certainly the sort of weird, headline-grabbing story that can follow one throughout their entire career. It dominated the airwaves on all the sports networks and is seemingly being discussed more than the game on Monday night at this point.

With Beckham involved, however, this could simply be a footnote in a tumultuous offseason by the time Week 1 rolls around.

With around eight months before the first Browns’ regular season game, we could be talking about multiple other stories that have taken place in that time period. No one can see the future, but Beckham’s past suggests that potential distractions are always around the corner.

On top of that, Cleveland will have a new coaching staff, and fellow newsmaker Baker Mayfield is at quarterback. Along with the rapidly moving news cycle, it’s highly possible that this story doesn’t even get a mention, let alone video accompaniment, in the Week 1 broadcast.

Take the under on butt slaps.