For most of the season, the Denver Nuggets played with an NBA future odds championship hangover. And the Nuggets long-suffering fans would tell you everyone was entitled to it. Denver won its first NBA title last year and milked it for all it was worth. Gamblers became frustrated with the Nuggets’ inconsistent play for the first half of the season. Since the All-Star break, Denver has regained its championship form. Thus, the Nuggets are primed for a spirited defense of their championship. The last two repeat champs were the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors and the 2012-13 Miami Heat.
Denver Nuggets 2024 NBA Championship Future Odds
Denver Nuggets Team Overview
The Denver Nuggets are 57-25 straight up, 38-43-1 against the spread, and 34-47-1 over/under the online betting total. Late on, Denver has covered four out of their last five games. In comparison, the Nuggets have gone over the total in four of its previous five matchups. Denver is 2nd in the Western Conference playoff standings. Denver lost a tie-breaker with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference playoff race.
Overall, Denver has NBA metrics of 14th for scoring offense, 4th for field goal percentage, 10th for 3-point field goal percentage, 25th for free throw percentage, and 7th for offensive rebounding. While on defense, the Nuggets have NBA metrics of 6th for scoring defense, 4th for field goal percentage permitted, 8th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 7th for defensive rebounding.
The Nuggets will face one of the Western Conference play-in winners in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Specifically, that series is starting on Saturday, April 20, 2024.
Denver Nuggets Key Players and Coach
Head coach Michael Malone has been on the job since 2015. Previously, Malone had head coaching experience with the Sacramento Kings. He has led a franchise renaissance with Denver. Overall, his record at Denver is 424-295 in the regular season and 37-31 in the playoffs.
C Nikola Jokic leads the Nuggets with 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game. Consider that Jokic is considered by many to be the top player for NBA playoff odds. Jokic is the Nuggets marquee man who led Denver to its first NBA championship last year. Previously, he was the 41st overall pick (2nd round) of Denver in the 2014 NBA Draft. Jokic was the NBA Finals MVP last year and is a 2-time NBA MVP. Additionally, Jokic is a 6-time NBA All-Star.
Denver Nuggets History
The Denver Nuggets have made the playoffs 38 times and have an overall record above .500 in their 56 seasons between the ABA and the NBA. They have had some of the most exciting players in the league during their history. But a title remained elusive until 2023.
This franchise was founded in 1967 as the Denver Larks. They changed their name to the Rockets before their first game. Late on, they became the Denver Nuggets when they were accepted as one of the four franchises that would join the NBA from the ABA. They were a perennial playoff team in the ABA. Subsequently, that continued in the NBA. Denver made the postseason in 21 of its first 23 seasons.
Namely, Denver has had stars like Dan Issel, Alex English, David Thompson, Carmelo Anthony, and Dikembe Mutombo. Still, the Nuggets lost in all four of their trips to the Western Conference Finals until 2023.