Denver Nuggets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction 1/2/2026 Today’s NBA Picks

The Denver Nuggets travel to the Rocket Arena to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.

Denver Nuggets Betting Preview 

The Denver Nuggets have cooled off a bit lately as they’ve split their last eight games and they will be eager to build some momentum after snapping a two-game skid with a 106-103 win over the Raptors on Wednesday. Peyton Watson led the team with 24 points on nine of 19 shooting, Jamal Murray added 21 points with seven rebounds and six assists while Jonas Valanciunas chipped in with 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists. As a team, the Nuggets shot 43 percent from the field and 10 of 34 from the 3-point line as they jumped all over the Raptors from the start with 63 points in the first half to jump out in front by 13 points early, but this game was tightly contested right till the end as the Nuggets didn’t have control of the contest until they held the Raptors to just five points in the final 4:39 to escape with the gritty road win. 

Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview 

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been in great form as they’ve won four of their last six games overall and they will be aiming for a third straight victory after running past the Suns in a 129-113 win on Wednesday. Donovan Mitchell led the team with 34 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists on 10 of 18 shooting, Darius Garland added 19 points with six assists, Jaylon Tyson scored 18 points off the bench while Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen each scored 16 points. As a team, the Cavaliers shot 50 percent from the field and 15 of 38 from the 3-point line as they set the tone with 37 points in the first to take a 13-point lead into halftime and they didn’t take their foot off the gas until the lead swelled to 24 points at one stage. 

Denver v Cleveland Free Prediction

The Nuggets are still missing Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson to name a few, while the Cavaliers have ruled out Max Strus and Larry Nance Jr with De’Andre Hunter and Sam Merrill both questionable. The Nuggets have hit a lull in their season which is expected given the long list of injuries they’ve suddenly had to deal with. The Cavaliers come into this one as heavy favorites and they looked great in their big win over the Suns in their last outing, but this line is hefty. It’s hard to picture anything but a comfortable win for the Cavaliers at home, but I still think the depleted Nuggets are being undervalued in this spot. The line just seems a little too high, so I will back the second string Nuggets to keep this one close in the end.

Peter Tran's Pick: Cleveland -13.5