Karl-Anthony Towns is out for Thursday's game against the Jazz

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that Karl-Anthony Towns is out of Thursday’s game against the Jazz due to entering COVID-19 protocols.

Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has entered COVID-19 protocols.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 23, 2021

COVID-19 has particularly victimized Towns in the past. He has had eight family members die to COVID-19, including his mom. Towns was also hospitalized in 2020 due to the virus and missed 13 games last season.

Towns joins six other Timberwolves in the league’s health and safety protocols, including Patrick Beverley, Anthony Edwards, McKinley Wright IV, Josh Okogie, Taurean Prince, and Jarred Vanderbilt. Towns leads Minnesota in scoring and rebounding, putting up 24.5 points, 9.1 boards per game. The team will look to Naz Reid to fill the void while Towns is sidelined.

Over at Fanduel Sportsbook, the Timberwolves are a +870 against the Jazz.

Utah was probably going to be favored in this matchup anyways, but you can see how much losing Towns has shifted the lines. You can stay up-to-date with all the NBA odds by visiting Fanduel Sportsbook.