The Knicks are taking on the Celtics in Boston on Wednesday night after stealing Game 1. Here are the best player props to consider for Karl-Anthony Towns on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best Karl-Anthony Towns Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
The Knicks are 10.5-point underdogs against the Celtics, with an o/u of 210.5. Here are the latest lines for Karl-Anthony Towns on DraftKings Sportsbook: o/u 18.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 three-pointers.
The New York Knicks went into Boston and stole Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Late in the first half, Karl-Anthony Towns was in serious foul trouble and the Knicks looked to be outmatched by the Celtics. However, an incredible run late in the third quarter propelled the Knicks back into the game, and Jalen Brunson caught fire in the final few minutes to send it to overtime. In OT, the Knicks’ defense dominated, and a couple of big shots were the difference to get them the win. In Game 2, the Knicks have a chance to take firm control of the series heading back to New York if they can somehow pull off a second upset.
One concerning factor for the Knicks heading into Game 2 is the play of Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns and Brunson were a great dynamic duo during the regular season. However, so far this postseason, KAT has struggled across the board. Outside of two games in the Detroit series, he has been a non-factor offensively. He has not been able to get open looks from the perimeter, and he has not been physical enough in the paint. Both Detroit in the opening series and Boston in Game 1 basically took Towns out of the game and the Knicks didn’t do much to rectify the situation. Tom Thibodeau seems comfortable just letting Jalen Brunson take over and get the ball to the three wings, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, for open looks or to allow them to drive to the hoop. Towns has become basically the fifth option offensively in the Knicks’ starting five.
Even worse than Towns’ lack of production offensively, he seems lost on the defensive end against Boston. This was a major problem in the regular season series against Boston, where the Knicks went 0-4. Mitchell Robinson finally returned for the final regular-season matchup and there was a clear difference in their defensive quality with Robinson in the game instead of Towns. Jalen Brunson is already a bit of a liability on defense, but because of his brilliance on offense, it can be forgiven. However, having two players who are not up to speed with their switches and rotations defensively is a major issue against a team as good as the Celtics. Going forward, Towns’ minutes could continue to decrease as Mitchell Robinson and even Precious Achiuwa get more run.
My favorite prop for Towns in this game is for him to have under 1.5 assists. This bet can be found at odds of +130 on DraftKings Sportsbook despite the fact that Towns has gone under this number in five of his past six games. He had two assists in Game 6 against Detroit, but other than that, he has gone under this number in each playoff game dating back to Game 1 of the Detroit series. In Game 1 against the Celtics, he actually had zero assists. The Knicks are not putting the ball in his hands anymore. He crashes the boards and looks for put-backs or gets the occasional dump-off from Brunson for a wide-open shot. However, he is not drawing double-teams or being creative with the ball, making it nearly impossible to pick up assists. With his lack of offense this postseason and the fact that his minutes could continue to decline, this is the best bet to make on Towns for Game 2.
