UPDATE: Karl-Anthony Towns has been ruled out for tonight’s game due to a knee injury.
The Orlando Magic have been in a next-man-up mindset all year, losing Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and then Moe Wagner to long-term injuries. But how many men do they have to lose before there is no next man up? The Magic may have found their answer after losing point guard Jalen Suggs to a back injury, losing to the woeful Utah Jazz on Sunday night without Suggs in the lineup.
Suggs will sit out Monday night as well in a game that would probably be competitive if both squads were fully healthy. However, a trip to Madison Square Garden to face the 24-12 New York Knicks, who have been in generally good form despite back-to-back defeats to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls.
Orlando will have its hands full with Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns has played at an MVP level in his first season in New York, averaging 25.3 points, a league-leading 14.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game on 55-44-83 shooting splits.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Knicks are 12-point favorites and the point total is set to 210. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bet centered around Big Purr.
Best Karl-Anthony Towns Prop Bet on DraftKings Sportsbook
Karl-Anthony Towns U22.5 Points (-110)
The Magic have struggled mightily over their last 10 games, losing six of them and recording the 11th-worst net rating in basketball across that span. The offense has been a major concern, as Orlando has scored just 103.1 points per 100 possessions across that span, better than only the Charlotte Hornets. However, the Magic have still had the fourth-best defense in the league and have played at its slowest pace, which should seriously depress Towns’ stats.
On Monday, Towns will face one of the league’s premier rim protectors, Goga Bitadze. The six-foot-11 Georgian has broken out in his sixth season, recording the third-highest block percentage, eighth-highest rebounding percentage and the fifth-highest defensive box plus-minus in basketball so far in 2024-25. This season, opposing players have shot 5.7 percentage points worse overall when guarded by Bitadze, and Orlando is 5.1 points better per 100 possessions when Bitadze plays.
Additionally, Suggs’ absence will mean that the Magic will lose one of the league’s best perimeter defenders. Overall, Suggs ranks 10th in defensive win shares and 18th in steal percentage, and he would’ve made scoring difficult for New York point guard Jalen Brunson. Instead, Cole Anthony — a small, offense-oriented point guard in the middle of a rough season — will step into the starting lineup. Anthony has been a little better on defense in recent seasons, but he’s no Suggs. With Brunson enjoying such a favorable matchup, expect the Knicks’ offense to run through its captain, not Towns.
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