Ed Davis Preparing to Plead Guilty in Beasley-Linked Illegal Betting Case

Ed Davis is preparing to plead guilty to the charges against him in an illegal betting investigation run by the US Department of Justice. According to court records, Davis, who had previously denied the charges, has moved to change his plea, and the process has been referred to a federal judge.

Prosecutors allege that Davis gave money to Malik Beasley, who had built up gambling debts totaling millions of dollars. He is then said to have led a plan aimed at repaying that money, which involved Beasley manipulating his performance in NBA games in a way that would affect the outcome of certain player bets. In federal indictment messages, Davis wrote to Beasley in December 2023: "The only way to beat Vegas is sports betting. The edge is with them in everything else."

According to prosecutors, before a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 26, 2024, Beasley told Davis that he planned to finish below his normal performance in rebounds. Beasley ended the game with three rebounds. At the sportsbooks, the player's rebound line had been set at 3.5.

Prosecutors claim that in four games Beasley played for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2023-24 season, he changed his performance in a way that allowed bettors to profit. Davis is expected to plead guilty, and Beasley is also expected to admit his guilt. Beasley's hearing on this matter is scheduled for December 9.

Davis was selected 13th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft. He played 12 seasons across eight teams in the league, earned approximately $47 million over his career, and retired from professional basketball in 2022.