Karl-Anthony Towns has been a force on the glass to open the NBA season, and there’s good reason to believe that continues Saturday night against the Cavaliers.
With Mitchell Robinson out of the picture, the Knicks big man is averaging 13.6 rebounds through eight games, well above the 11.6 he averaged last season.
He’s been particularly dominant on the boards of late, grabbing at least 12 rebounds in five consecutive games while averaging 14.6 over that stretch.
Towns pulled down 12 boards in Wednesday’s 135-105 blowout over the Bulls despite playing just 25 minutes.
In what figures to be a much more competitive matchup against a fellow Eastern Conference contender, Towns should have an opportunity to pile up even more rebounds on Saturday.
The NBA schedule also works in the Knicks’ favor in this game.
The Knicks will have had two full days to rest since their victory over Chicago, while Cleveland faces the 76ers on Friday before hosting the orange and blue in the second half of a back-to-back.
The Cavaliers’ injury situation could make matters worse when it comes to the boards.
Cleveland starting center Jarrett Allen, who ranks second on the team with 7.8 rebounds per game, is dealing with a right knee contusion that took him out early of Wednesday’s game against the Thunder and puts his availability in question for this game.
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Even if Allen takes the court, Towns will come in with fresh legs against a Cleveland team that isn’t 100 percent, and playing its third game in four nights.
The pick: Karl-Anthony Towns over 12.5 rebounds (-130, DraftKings Sportsbook)
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Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
