Fresh off a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night, the Golden State Warriors return home to host the Denver Nuggets.
Can Golden State advance to 2-0, or will the new-look Nuggets earn a win in their season opener?
Here are my best free NBA picks and Nuggets vs. Warriors predictions for Thursday’s matchup at Chase Center.
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Nuggets vs Warriors prediction
Nuggets vs Warriors best bet: Nuggets moneyline (+110)
The Golden State Warriors came through with a double-digit win over the Lakers on Tuesday, but L.A. has quite a few deficiencies on both ends of the court.
The Lakers were without LeBron James, new addition Deandre Ayton provided next to nothing, and scoring was pitiful outside of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
The Denver Nuggets are a far better and deeper team than the Lakers, and I expect them to come away with a win in this one. Denver’s core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon are back. Michael Porter Jr. was traded for Cam Johnson, and the team added Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas.
Depth has been Denver’s Achilles heel since winning the title in 2023, but that shouldn’t be an issue this season.
Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic will be the best player on the court, and with a team of shooters and scorers surrounding him, I don’t expect Golden State to be able to keep pace offensively.
Denver has the edge, and I like the plus-money value in betting them to win straight up as underdogs.
Nuggets vs Warriors same-game parlay
Denver was the NBA’s third highest-scoring offense last season at 120.8 points per game, and the team finished with at least 117 points in 53 of 82 contests.
Stephen Curry finished with 23 points on Tuesday, but he’ll need to be more aggressive as a scorer to keep pace with Denver’s lethal offensive attack. I expect a big performance in front of the home crowd.
Nuggets vs Warriors SGP
- Nuggets moneyline
- Nuggets Team Total Over 115.5
- Stephen Curry Over 25.5 points
Our "from downtown" SGP: Double-digit Denver Dimes
Jokic averaged a career-high 10.2 assists per game last season and dished at least 10 in 40 of 70 appearances. He should pick up right where he left off, especially with gifted shooters Cam Johnson and Tim Hardaway Jr. in the fold.
Nuggets vs Warriors SGP
- Nuggets moneyline
- Nuggets Team Total Over 115.5
- Stephen Curry Over 25.5 points
- Nikola Jokic Over 9.5 assists
Nuggets vs Warriors odds
- Spread: Nuggets +2 | Warriors -2
- Moneyline: Nuggets +110 | Warriors -130
- Over/Under: Over 234 | Under 234
Nuggets vs Warriors betting trend to know
Denver won two of three head-to-head matchups with Golden State last season. Find more NBA betting trends for Nuggets vs. Warriors.
How to watch Nuggets vs Warriors
| Location | Chase Center, San Francisco, CA |
| Date | Thursday, October 23, 2025 |
| Tip-off | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Nuggets vs Warriors latest injuries
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