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Is Karl-Anthony Towns Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Cavs vs. Knicks)

The latest injury update for New York Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

Peter Dewey

New York Knicks center/forward Karl-Anthony Towns.
New York Knicks center/forward Karl-Anthony Towns. / John Jones-Imagn Images
In this story:

UPDATE: Karl-Anthony Towns will play in the Knicks' season opener.

UPDATE: Karl-Anthony Towns is now a game-time decision for Wednesday's season opener against the Cavs.

UPDATE: Karl-Anthony Towns has been downgraded to doubtful on Wednesday night, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

The New York Knicks have listed four rotation players on their injury report for Wednesday night’s season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers, including big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who is questionable.

Towns is dealing with a right quad strain ahead of this matchup. New York has already ruled out Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson on Wednesday and it has listed OG Anunoby as probable. 

It would be surprising to see Towns miss this game, especially since the Knicks were already willing to rule out Robinson and Hart for the season opener. 

Last season, Towns appeared in 72 games and averaged 24.3 points, 12.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 42.0 percent from 3. He earned an All-NBA nod for his play.

With Towns’ status up in the air, there is another Knick that I think is worth betting on in the prop market in this game. New York has gone from a 2.5-point favorite to a 1.5-point underdog after releasing its injury report, an ominous sign for the team in the season opener. 

This story will be updated with Towns’ final status ahead of Wednesday’s season opener. 

Best Knicks Prop Bet vs. Cavs With Karl-Anthony Towns Questionable

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why I’m betting on Jalen Brunson with the Knicks listing multiple rotation players on their injury report on Wednesday: 

Jalen Brunson OVER 24.5 Points (-119)

The New York Knicks are going to look a little different in the 2025-26 season with Mike Brown at the helm and not Tom Thibodeau, but it shouldn’t change too much about Jalen Brunson’s role in this vaunted offense. 

Brunson scored 31 points and took 25 shots in his final preseason tune up, and he’s now taking on a Cleveland team that he has torched as a member of the Knicks dating back to the 2023 NBA playoffs.

In three games against the Cavs last season, Brunson had 21, 26 and 27 points. 

The Cavs lack an elite guard defender on their roster – especially with Isaac Okoro now in Chicago. Does Sam Merrill get the nod on Brunson? Maybe Lonzo Ball? It’s going to be interesting to see how Cleveland matches up with Darius Garland and Max Strus sidelined with injuries. 

I don’t love the matchups for Cleveland in this game, and let’s not forget that Brunson is coming off a season where he averaged 26.0 points per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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Peter Dewey
PETER DEWEY

Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting. He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.

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