Jarrett Allen's Questionable Tag Leaves the Cavaliers and Bettors Flying Blind

Jarrett Allen is officially questionable for Friday with a knee injury, delivering the exact kind of vague NBA status update that ruins a perfectly good parlay before the weekend even starts.

According to Underdog NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers center is currently a coin flip to suit up. The questionable tag stems from a brutal knee-to-knee collision against the Detroit Pistons that forced him out of the game. Getting taken out by the Pistons is objectively hilarious until you remember how much Cleveland relies on him to keep the paint from turning into a layup line.

"Underdog NBA reported Jarrett Allen (knee) is listed questionable for Friday."

Head coach Kenny Atkinson confirmed it was a direct contact injury rather than a soft-tissue overuse issue. That is a massive relief for a guy who has been an absolute machine, averaging 15.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game this season.

Allen is not exactly a guy who looks for excuses to sit on the bench in designer streetwear. He played through a broken finger earlier this year and logged all 82 games a couple of seasons ago. If a guy with that kind of pain tolerance is actually considering sitting out, it means his knee currently has the structural integrity of a wet paper towel.

This lingering questionable tag is a total nightmare for anyone trying to build a fantasy lineup or navigate the prop market. When a guy who recently went on a tear averaging 21 points and 10.5 boards on 72 percent shooting might not play, you are basically flying blind on the entire Cleveland rotation.

We will have to wait for the final injury report closer to tip-off on Friday to see if the big man gets the green light. Until then, keep your backup centers loose and your betting slips safely in draft mode.