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Brady HendersonESPN
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — With another $1 million worth of incentives in his contract and free agency a month away, Odell Beckham Jr. could stand to make a lot of money in Super Bowl LVI.
So could Drake.
According to his Instagram account, the rapper and close friend of Beckham’s has bet nearly $1.26 million in Bitcoin on the Los Angeles Rams and their star receiver in Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Man,” Beckham said with a laugh when asked Friday about the wagers, “I’ve got to come through for him.”
On Thursday, Drake posted pictures to his Instagram account of three bets. He made a money-line wager on the Rams to win outright, risking more than $471,000 — when converted from Canadian to U.S. dollars — for a payout of more than $711,000. The other two bets were on Beckham to top 62.5 receiving yards and score at least one touchdown, with Drake risking nearly $393,000 on each for payouts of nearly $711,000 apiece.
If Drake wins all three bets, he would receive a total payout of $2.267 million for a profit of just over $1 million. The caption in his post read, “All bets are in on the family.” Beckham appeared in the video for Drake’s 2020 hit “Laugh Now Cry Later.”
“I’ve got to come through for him,” Beckham repeated, “but ultimately, bro, I just want to be able to hold that trophy up, look your brothers in the eyes like, ‘Man, we did it.’ And just feel that joy … Honestly, I feel like if I play my game, I catch everything that comes my way, I make the plays, I stay locked in, one play at a time, all of those things are very possible.”
Beckham has scored a touchdown in six of his 11 games with the Rams this season. He’s had at least 63 receiving yards in four of those games.
The one-year deal Beckham signed with Los Angeles in November includes $3 million worth of incentives tied to the team’s postseason success. He’s already earned $2 million of that. Beckham will get another $500,000 if the Rams lose the Super Bowl and $1 million if they win, with each payout contingent on Beckham participating in at least one offensive play.
The 29-year-old Beckham has been preparing for the Super Bowl while also preparing to become a father. His girlfriend, Lauren Wood, is due to have their first child any day.
“You have two of the biggest blessings, two once-in-a-lifetime moments and opportunities all happening at the same time,” he said.
Beckham is hoping the baby is born Friday night or a day or two after the Super Bowl as to not conflict with the game.
” … I don’t really need ya’ll to keep putting it in the air, [asking] what’s gonna happen if the baby is born on the Super Bowl,” he said playfully. “You don’t need to talk about that. But I thought about that last night. I’m like, man, it really is a lot for one person to handle and hold onto. I feel like I’ve done a great job. I have a great support system. My lady helps me a lot with that and she’s like, ‘You focus on winning. I got this.’ But at the same time, I want to be there. So it hasn’t been easy but it’s a lot of blessings.”
ESPN’s David Bearman contributed to this report.