Grizzlies Odds Weirdly Change After NBA Suspends Ja Morant

The NBA officially has levied a punishment for Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant.

Morant was suspended eight games without pay for conduct detrimental to the league, the NBA announced Wednesday. The suspension will cover the games already missed by the 23-year-old, making him eligible to play on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks.

The suspension stems from an incident in which Morant flashed a gun in a live video posted to Instagram. It wasn’t the first incident in which the two-time All-Star allegedly flashed a gun, as he’s under investigation for two separate instances. Morant apologized for the incident and held a meeting with NBA commissioner Adam Silver in New York on Wednesday.

The suspension is not at all surprising, especially considering he’s been under investigation since the Instagram post. The Grizzlies’ odds to win an NBA championship improving following the punishment? That is surprising.

Memphis, who was once viewed as a favorite to win the title, moved to 19-1 to win the championship at FanDuel Sportsbook following Morant’s initial sabbatical from the team — the seventh-best odds at the time.

After Morant’s suspension came official, the Grizzlies moved to 16-1 to take home the title — the sixth-best odds.

That movement is confusing at first glance, but makes sense if you put some thought into it. There was no way of knowing whether or not Morant would play again this season when he was placed under investigation. Now, there is a set date, meaning bettors know exactly when they’ll see him take the court again.

Sometimes its just that simple.