2026 Denver Nuggets Predictions with Best Bets and Odds to Win NBA Championship

by Spencer Toth - 9/30/2026

The Denver Nuggets will always be a title contender as long as Nikola Jokic is healthy, and this year is no exception. The Serbian center has finished in the top two of MVP voting in six consecutive seasons, putting him in elite company with only Larry Bird and Bill Russell having completed that feat. Those two legends have a combined 14 championships to their names, with Jokic and company wanting nothing more than to add another trophy to their cabinet. Can the Nuggets survive a Wild West to secure a top seed and a deep playoff run, or will a Herculean effort from Jokic not be enough to get them over the line?

Doc’s Sports offers NBA expert picks for every game on our NBA predictions page.

Denver Nuggets Offseason Recap

The Denver Nuggets failed to make the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2022 last year, and needed a tune-up in the offseason to get back in contention. They opted to focus on veteran talent rather than hunting for young talent, with DeMar DeRozan and Marvin Bagley being their premier signings. Bagley will replace the departing Jonas Valaciunas as the backup center, and will be responsible for holding down the fort when Jokic takes a rest. His impact will be important, but DeRozan will have the bigger role to play.

DeRozan has spent the last two years wasting away in Sacramento, but even at 37 years old, he still has plenty to give. His ability to create his own shots and shoulder a large share of the offensive responsibility makes him the perfect man to come off the bench and lead the second unit, especially when Jokic is not on the floor. His 18.4 PPG last year was his lowest total since 2013, but that was expected as he recorded the fewest minutes and shots attempted per game since his rookie year. He is capable of making tough shots late in the shot clock, and brings an intangible swagger with him both on and off the court. His desire to still compete at the highest level is still there, and a competitor like DeRozan will find a way to make an impact.

While gaining DeRozan and Bagley was essential, the Nuggets lost a few key pieces in Peyton Watson and Tim Hardaway along with Valanciunas. Watson is the biggest loss of the trio, as he was a crucial member on both ends of the court. He led the team in blocks and was the fourth leading scorer with 14.6 PPG, but his perimeter defense will be the biggest hole to fill. Watson's mammoth wingspan combined with a seemingly endless gas tank made him the perfect man to shut down shooters, and his ability to guard all five positions made him a valuable asset. Hardaway’s shooting will also be missed, but that can be replaced. Watson on the other hand did so much more for the team than what showed up on the boxscore, and the Nuggets will need Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson to step up in his absence.

2026 Denver Nuggets Season Expectations

Anytime a perennial MVP contender is on the court, the expectation will be championship or bust. Jokic does things on a basketball court that are hard to put into words, as he elevates his teammates with his seemingly impossible play. The splits when Jokic is on compared to off the court are remarkable, with the Nuggets posting +6.5 points per 100 possessions with him compared to -0.2 without him last season. The year before it was even more dramatic, with a +5.3 net rating compared to a -4.5. On the stat sheet, Jokic averaged a triple double for the second consecutive season, joining only Russell Westbrook as the only players to have done so. His 27.7 PPG with 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists are incredible enough, and he became the first player ever to lead the entire league in both rebounds and assists in the same season. He recorded 34 triple doubles in 65 appearances, and made an All-NBA team for the eighth consecutive season. The Nuggets are an undisputed title contender with Jokic, but would be one of the worst teams in the league without him. End of story.

While Jokic can do a lot, there are still four other Nuggets on the court with him who need to succeed. The NBA is drifting away from being a star-driven league with teams going deeper into their benches to keep up a lightning-fast pace of play. Gone are the days where a player can scrape by without playing defense, and the Nuggets will need the rest of their starters and role players to step up. They lost serious depth in the offseason, and a bench featuring DeRozan, Bagley, Tyus Jones, and Julian Strawther is not exactly eye-popping.

One man who needs a big year is Jamal Murray. Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun are both solid stars, but they can’t do the same things Murray can on the offensive end. Murray finally made the All-Star team to give Jokic his first ever teammate to do so last season, with a 25.4 PPG on 48.3% from the floor and 43.5% from deep, all of which were career highs. He also set career highs in assists (7.1) and rebounds (4.4), which shows that he is finally bringing a more well-rounded game to the hardwood. Denver was unable to turn Jokic and Murray’s tandem into a deep playoff run after being bounced by the Timberwolves in the first round, but they will have their sights firmly set on a better regular season to set them up for a strong postseason.

2026 Denver Nuggets Schedule Breakdown

The Denver Nuggets open up the season with a mouthwatering matchup on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder, before playing five of their next seven at home. They are very winnable matchups against the Pelicans, Warriors, Pelicans, Suns, Trail Blazers, Pacers, and Raptors, which means Denver cannot afford a slow start with tougher sledding to come. The Nuggets head out West for the Christmas period, with a Christmas Day game against Golden State one of the highlights of their schedule. Their longest homestand is a seven-game stretch in January against seven teams projected to miss the playoffs. Finally, they end the season against the Spurs and Thunder, which could prove to be potential playoff previews or pivotal games for seeding at the top of the conference.

2026 Denver Nuggets Betting Odds

The Denver Nuggets have a win total of 48.5 this season, which is the third-highest in the Western Conference. They have eclipsed this line in each of the last four seasons, with their 54-28 record good for third in the West last year. They are expected to make the playoffs with -800 odds to do so, and long +300 odds to even need the play-in tournament, but challenging for the top seed may be too much to ask with +1400 odds to finish on top. Looking at the playoffs, Denver has +1200 odds to win the West, and +2500 odds to win the championship, tied for the sixth-shortest number in the league.

Jumping to the NBA Cup, Denver finds themselves in a winnable group featuring the Rockets, Suns, Jazz, and Mavericks. They have +170 odds to win that group, and +1800 odds to lift the NBA Cup.

2026 Denver Nuggets Season Predictions and Best Bets

It is hard to doubt Nikola Jokic given what he has done up to this point in his career, but I will be doing exactly that. The loss of Peyton Watson is a massive blow to this team, and once you add in the departures of Hardaway and Valanciunas too, the Nuggets are suddenly very thin. DeRozan is a solid bench player, but he will start to eventually slow down, and the Nuggets were already struggling for depth as it was. The Western Conference is as deep as ever, which means there won’t be very many easy wins chalked up for the Nuggets. Murray’s revitalization started to silence those concerns, but a single injury to any of their top-seven players would spell disaster for Denver.

For the first bet, we are going to take Denver to finish under 48.5 wins. This line is rightfully lower than their recent records, but it should be closer to 45 wins if we are being honest with where this team is at. Jokic can do remarkable things, but his defense is still average, and Denver failed to replace the key defenders they lost this offseason.

We aren’t stopping there, as we will hunt for some plus money with Denver to participate in the play-in tournament at +300 odds. I expect the Thunder, Spurs, Lakers, Timberwolves, and Rockets to all finish ahead of Denver, and if we can get one surprising season from either the Warriors or Trail Blazers, the Nuggets will slide down to the seventh seed. They don’t have the depth to survive an 82-game season, and it is always better to target long shots when tying up your bankroll for several months on a future.

Top Pick: Denver Nuggets Under 48.5 Wins -110

Pick: Denver Nuggets to Qualify for the Play-In Tournament +300

Get NBA picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.

Start:	October 4, 2026 @ 1:00 PM
Expert:	August Young
Free $60 Account Sign Up

2026 Denver Nuggets Predictions with Best Bets and Odds to Win NBA Championship

Most Recent NBA Handicapping