The Denver Nuggets are set to be just as dominant in the early stages of the 2023-24 NBA season as they were in the 2023 Finals, when they dominated every team that stood in their way on their way to a title. During that postseason, the Nuggets lost just four games, proving they are a cut above the rest.
Denver’s path to victory wasn’t easy either. Their stellar play in the regular season earned them the #1 seed and home court advantage throughout the postseason, but looking at the rest of the standings and the results of the play-in tournament, the Nuggets certainly didn’t face the easiest opponents. Let’s take a look at how the Nuggets are doing compared to the overall championship predictions.
Denver Nuggets to sweep 2023 championships
In the first round, they faced off against the up-and-coming Minnesota Timberwolves, who withstood the onslaught of Anthony Edwards, who was making his debut as a bona fide NBA superstar. The Timberwolves had made many roster changes, including adding multiple championship-winning players, in an attempt to build a better roster around Edwards. Defensive Player of the Year winner Rudy GobertDespite adding Gobert to a talented roster that included Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jaden McDaniels, Denver handily defeated the new Timberwolves in just five games.
With their dominating win over the Timberwolves, the Nuggets earned the honor of facing the Phoenix Suns and their new superstars, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Colorado sports betting While there was still faith in the Nuggets, the signing of KD created uncertainty in the local betting market and future bets fell. Denver swept Phoenix in the second round, but their deep roster was the difference between victory and defeat, while the offensive brilliance of Book and KD cost the Suns two wins.
The Nuggets’ reward for beating Phoenix was to face LeBron James, Anthony Davis and another Los Angeles Laker in the second round. A series with James, one of the two best players in league history, should never be taken lightly. Although the series ended with a Denver win, every game was close until the end. This win is a fierce confirmation of Denver’s overwhelming strength, not an indictment on James and the Lakers. In this series, the Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray duo proved too strong for the veteran Lakers to contain throughout the entire series.
In the Finals, they faced off against an in-form Miami Heat team led by Jimmy Butler, who had started in the play-in tournament and upset the Milwaukee Bucks led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, the New York Knicks, and the Boston Celtics. Miami seemed like a destined team, not only wowing fans around the world with their run, but also surviving a stunning comeback by the Celtics after surviving a 3-0 lead, winning Game 7 to prevent the first comeback in NBA history and advance to the Finals.
Denver Nuggets 2024 NBA Championship Odds
Still, Nikola Jokic and the rest of the Denver Nuggets didn’t fear their fate, as they quickly outmaneuvered a depleted Heat, winning just five games to clinch the championship and take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Despite their dominance throughout the postseason and a league-best 6-1 record since the start of the 2023-24 season, the Nuggets have yet to earn the respect of Las Vegas oddsmakers. Denver may not have made the flashiest offseason additions, but they should be the favorite to win until proven otherwise. However, most sportsbooks have the Nuggets behind the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks in championship odds. BetMGM has them tied with the Phoenix Suns for the third-best odds at +550. Who would have thought the defending champions would be a decent choice as a dark horse to win the title?
