Over the course of the past two days, there has been no shortage of rumors and innuendo to be found linking the Cleveland Browns to New York Giants star receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
But while thus far, no one has been willing to lend credence to such speculation, there finally appears to be evidence that something could be afoot.
On Thursday, betting website Bovada provided its betting odds for which team Beckham will play for in Week 1 of the 2019 season. And although the Giants are ultimately favored to keep the 3-time Pro Bowl selection at -190, Cleveland has seen its odds move from +500 to +285, making the Browns the favorite to land Beckham, should he be dealt.
The entirety of Bovada's Beckham's 2019 landing spot odds is as follows:
- New York Giants -190
- Cleveland Browns +285
- Pittsburgh Steelers +700
- San Francisco 49ers +1500
- Arizona Cardinals +1500
- Oakland Raiders +1500
- Miami Dolphins +1500
- New York Jets +1500
- Chicago Bears +1800
For the gambling initiated, with the current odds, a bettor would need to risk $190 to net a $100 profit on a successful wager on the Giants. Meanwhile, a placing a successful $100 bet on the Browns would return a $285 profit.
So while the Browns are nearly a 3/1 underdog to land Beckham, it's worth noting that their odds of doing so are significantly better than the next closest non-Giants team.
Exactly where this rumor of Cleveland's interest in Beckham -- and the potential of a package including offensive guard Kevin Zeitler and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah -- came from still remains unclear. But at the very least, it's become believable enough that the betting odds have begun to shift more in the Browns' favor.