Jaren Jackson Jr. stat-padding controversy, explained: Reddit post sparks discussion with betting implications
Jaren Jackson Jr. has become a popular pick for Defensive Player of the Year over the past several weeks. Before Saturday, he had become the favorite to win the award at every major sportsbook, with odds at some dipping below minus-200. When CBS Sports made our mid-season awards picks , seven of eight voters chose Jackson as the Defensive Player of the Year. Several other notable outlets followed suit. And then, on Saturday morning, a lengthy post gained traction on Reddit. The thread, by user u/ADMassive6666, was titled "Memphis Grizzlies scorekeeper posting fraudulent numbers." The post itself alleged that the scorekeeper working Grizzlies home games was artificially inflating Jackson's block and steal numbers, which, in turn, fueled the momentum behind Jackson's Defensive Player of the Year campaign. Soon after, Caesars Sportsbook removed Defensive Player of the Year odds from the board. Other...