The Denver Nuggets looked dominant early in the 2023-24 NBA season, as they dominated every team heading into the 2023 Finals. During that postseason, the Nuggets lost just four games, proving that they were a cut above the rest.
Denver didn’t have an easy path to the championship either. Their outstanding regular season play earned them the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage throughout the postseason, but the way the rest of the standings and the play-in tournament shook out clearly shows that the Nuggets didn’t draw the lightest of opponents. Let’s take a look at how the Nuggets stack up against the overall championship predictions.
Denver Nuggets, overwhelming favorites for 2023 championship
In the first round, they picked the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves and endured the full shock of Anthony Edwards’ coming out party as a true NBA superstar. The T-Wolves made a number of roster moves, including several player additions, to better assemble a roster around Edwards. Rudy Gobert, Defensive Player of the Year. Despite Gobert joining a talented team that included Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jaden McDaniels, Denver made quick work of the new-look Wolves in just five games.
After a gentleman’s win over the Wolves, the Nuggets were given the privilege of playing against the Phoenix Suns and their new superstar duo of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Most Colorado Sports Betting Landscape still had faith in the Nuggets, and the acquisition of KD brought some fear to the local betting market as future bets dwindled. Denver’s depth was a deciding factor as they edged out Phoenix in the second round, but the offensive prowess of Book and KD was able to steal both Suns wins.
The Nuggets’ reward for taking down Phoenix was a second-round game against LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the other Los Angeles Lakers. A series with James, one of the two greatest players in league history, should not be taken lightly. The series ended with a Denver win, but every game was played to the end. The sweep was not some kind of indictment of James and the Lakers, but a blistering endorsement of Denver’s dominance. The duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in that series proved too much for the veteran Lakers to try to contain for the entire series.
In the Finals, they faced a hot Miami Heat team led by Jimmy Butler on a Cinderella run that began in the play-in tournament and included upsets over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, and Boston Celtics. Miami looked like a team of destiny. Not only did they wow fans around the world during their run, but they also survived a furious comeback by the Celtics after going up 3-0, but they won Game 7 to prevent the first comeback sweep in NBA history and advance to the Finals.
Denver Nuggets 2024 NBA Championship Odds
Nevertheless, Nikola Jokic and the rest of the Denver Nuggets were not afraid of fate. They quickly dispatched a tired Heat team, defeating them in just five games to seal the title and return home with Larry O’Brien.
Despite their dominance throughout the postseason and a league-leading 6-1 record entering the 2023-24 season, the Nuggets have yet to earn the respect of Vegas oddsmakers. Denver may not have made the flashiest of offseason acquisitions, but they will be the favorite until proven otherwise. However, most sportsbooks have the Nuggets at the top of the championship odds, behind only the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks. BetMGM has them at the third-highest at +550 with the Phoenix Suns. Who knew the defending champions would turn out to be a decent dark horse for the title?
