The Knicks suffered a major loss last night against the Lakers. Not only did the team fall in overtime, but Jalen Brunson went down with what looked like a serious ankle injury.
The star point guard rolled his ankle on a drive in overtime, shot free throws but immediately left the game after. He gingerly walked to the locker room for further examination. Early reports suggest it’s an ankle sprain.
Nonetheless, it was severe enough to force Brunson out of the game. He couldn’t put much weight on it despite slowly walking on his own.
It puts the Knicks in a difficult spot now. They’re 3.5 games ahead of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference, but they’re playing their second game of a five-game west coast road trip. Brunson is essential to the Knicks’ success, so the team could tumble in the standings if he’s out for an extended period.
Karl-Anthony Towns will be tasked with being the primary scoring option until Brunson returns. He’s held this role for numerous years in Minnesota, so this should be something the All-Star big is capable of doing. The worry is whether this translates into the win column.
The Knicks are 7.5-point underdogs on the road tonight against the Clippers. The game total is set at 218.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Below, I have featured my favorite Towns prop bets to consider from this contest.
Best Karl-Anthony Towns Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Karl-Anthony Towns over 24.5 points (-110)
The Knicks will be relying on Towns to take over the. No. 1 option duties while Brunson is out. It likely will hurt the Knicks in the standings, so the team can only hope this is temporary and not a season-ending injury.
Nonetheless, Towns has proven year after year that he’s a capable No. 1 scoring option. The five-time All-Star has averaged as much as 26.5 points per game and hasn’t dipped below the 20-point mark since his rookie season.
He’s averaging 24.2 points per game this season despite playing as a second option. Without Brunson, he’ll need to step up more, and that should come as early as tonight. The Knicks play the second game of a back-to-back, facing the Clippers in Los Angeles.
Towns shot poorly from the field last night, but that shouldn’t happen two games in a row. The Knicks center has shot below 40% from the field eight times this season, but he’s shot above 50% in six of the eight following games.
Even if the efficiency doesn’t surpass 50%, there should be enough volume for Towns to clear the over on his 24.5 points prop bet line.