Midseason picks lean toward Nuggets over Thunder for NBA title

Cbssports reports that at the NBA midseason mark the outlet's staff slightly favors the Denver Nuggets over the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the title.

Among five staffers, three picked the Nuggets to win the Western Conference and three picked Denver as the 2026 NBA champion, while two staffers chose the Thunder to win the West and the Finals. In the East, three staffers picked the Detroit Pistons to win the conference and two picked the New York Knicks. Caesars odds as of Jan. 14 list the Thunder at +125 and the Nuggets at +650.

The staff noted recent developments that complicate projections: Oklahoma City’s struggles after multiple losses to the Spurs, Denver dealing with injuries to Nikola Jokić and Aaron Gordon, and the possibility that the trade deadline could change the landscape. The picks are explicitly presented as subject to change.

Key Topics

Sports, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Nikola Jokić, Detroit Pistons, Caesars