Thunder vs Nuggets Predictions: Oklahoma ATS Pick 10/24
- Both teams tied for the best record in the West last season, making this a great opening game.
- Neither team had amazing offseasons, but the Thunder made more moves to improve their roster.
- Expect the Thunder to still cover this NBA betting spread without a key player on the opening-day roster.
Nothing is better than celebrating the start of the new NBA season with two of the best teams in the league matching up. That makes Thursday night’s game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets one of the top betting options in the BetUS sportsbook.
Last season, the Thunder headlined NBA news as they surprised just about everyone, finishing with the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a 57-25 record. They also had Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished second in MVP voting. The Nuggets finished in second place in the West, with the same record as the Thunder, with Nikola Jokić winning his third MVP.
However, in the playoffs, both teams fell short of expectations. After making quick work of their opponents in the first round, both teams struggled in the Western Conference semifinals and were eliminated. That may have led to each team taking a different path for the offseason.
Thunder vs Nuggets Game Information
- Game: Thunder vs Nuggets
- Location: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
- Day/Time: Thursday, Oct. 24, 10:00 p.m. ET
- Thunder vs Nuggets Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Thunder vs Nuggets Odds and Spread
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Thunder vs Nuggets Betting Preview
Thunder’s track Record Against Nuggets
This offseason, the Thunder made a concerted effort to improve. However, given their cap space and an insane number of future draft picks, this might not have been what NBA predictions were expecting, with the team apparently still playing the long game.
That is evident from the Thunder’s first-round draft pick. They selected Nikola Topić, one of the draft’s top prospects until an ACL injury saw him slide. It is a gamble, but the Thunder don’t need any new young stars on their current roster.
They already have Gilgeous-Alexander, who nearly won MVP last season after averaging 30.1 points. Chet Holmgren finished second in Rookie of the Year voting with an incredible season. Finally, in his third season, Jalen Williams is one of the favorites to win Most Improved Player of the Year, with his NBA futures odds set at +800. Not to mention, Gilgeous-Alexander is the oldest of the core players at 26 years old.
Given all that young talent on the roster, most expected the Thunder to go out and either sign or trade for a star. Instead, they continued to be patient. They traded for an elite 3-and-D player in Alex Caruso, only having to give up Josh Giddey, who was out of the playoff rotation. Then, they signed Isaiah Hartenstein, enabling them to move Holmgren to the power forward.
The Thunder announced that Isaiah Hartenstein suffered a small, non-displaced fracture in his left hand in Tuesday’s preseason game in Denver.
He will be re-evaluated in five-to-six weeks. pic.twitter.com/olzxVEe1bH
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 17, 2024
The only issue is that Hartenstein is sidelined by injury. That does hurt the Thunder, but maybe not for this game in NBA picks. The Thunder have won the last three games against the Nuggets without Caruso or Hartenstein.
This young core has proven to be a challenge for the 2022-23 NBA champions and should continue to be so. Two of Oklahoma City’s three wins against the Nuggets came on the road last season.
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Quiet Offseason by Nuggets
Last season, it seemed like the Nuggets had a straight shot at another NBA Finals appearance. Jokić did his part, winning his third NBA MVP award, but he did not get much help in the playoffs. Unlike in the Nuggets’ championship run in 2022-23, Jamal Murray struggled and no one else stepped in to support Jokić.
That made it clear, that the Nuggets needed to make some roster changes this offseason. Instead, they lost their most impactful guard defender, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, in free agency while only signing Russell Westbrook and Dario Saric.
Julian Strawther was a MACHINE for the @nuggets in #NBAPreseason! 🔥
The former @NBAGrandRapids assignee averaged a team-leading 18.8 PPG on 53% FG and 50% 3PT. pic.twitter.com/dwH4pNapGi
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) October 22, 2024
That is hardly the reinforcements most people hoped the Nuggets would bring in to lead them back to the top. The Nuggets can get some help from players already on their roster. Julian Strawther had an extremely impressive preseason and might make an immediate impact on the team.
Still, it may take time for this Nuggets team to fully figure things out with new additions and the loss of a key player. They will face a Thunder team that is a well-oiled machine with pretty much the same roster as last season. Even with Hartenstein out, the Thunder still have the talent to win this game in NBA betting.
Bet On Thunder +2 vs Nuggets At BetUS!
Questions Of The Day
Is the 2024-25 BA MVP going to be playing in this game?
There is a good chance that the league’s MVP could play in this game, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić having a chance at the award.
Which star player will have the better game?
There is a good chance that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will outscore Nikola Jokić, considering that is more of his game.
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets
