Karl-Anthony Towns Causes Shift in Timberwolves NBA Championship Odds

The Minnesota Timberwolves are tied atop the Western Conference standings with less than two months left in the NBA season, but that could change quickly.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns suffered a left meniscus injury and could miss time. Towns have already been ruled out for tonight's game against the Indiana Pacers.

Depending on the severity of the injury, Towns could miss several weeks, as we've seen Joel Embiid's meniscus injury keep him out of the lineup for quite some time for the Philadelphia 76ers. If the Wolves determine Towns needs surgery, it could sideline him into the playoffs depending upon the recovery time.

Minnesota has been a pleasant surprise in the Western Conference this season, with the team holding a top spot for most of the season. Now, the Wolves could be facing a drop-off in the standings, and they already have seen their odds to win the NBA Finals drop.

After entering the month at +2500 to win the title, the Wolves are now +2800 to win the Finals this season.

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Losing Towns is a massive blow to the Wolves' offense, as he's averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Anthony Edwards will likely have to pick up most of the slack from Towns' potential absence, and the Wolves will need to lean on their No. 1 defense to win them games.

Minnesota was a risky bet to win it all with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Clippers all within 2.5 games of the No. 1 seed, but now the team is certainly one to avoid in the futures market until Town's' timeline to return is decided.

The team has made the playoffs in the Towns-Edwards era, but the Wolves have yet to get to the second round with that core. I'd look elsewhere in the Western Conference for a title contender.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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