Denver Nuggets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction & Picks - 1/2/2026
Updated January 2, 2026
Updated January 2, 2026
On Friday, the Denver Nuggets travel to face the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. This contest features two playoff-caliber rosters, but an extensive list of injuries has significantly shifted the expectations for both teams in this contest. Here, I take a closer look at both teams and their injury situations, while making my Nuggets vs Cavaliers prediction.
Pick: | Cavaliers -13.5 |
Confidence: | 3/5 |
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Cleveland enters this game riding a modest two-game winning streak and holding a decent overall record this season. Donovan Mitchell leads this Cavaliers squad, averaging nearly 30 points per game, ranking among the league’s most consistent scorers. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen provide physical presence inside, while Darius Garland runs the offense efficiently. The Cavs won by double-digits at home on New Year's Eve against the Phoenix Suns and they will try to build on that result against the short-handed Nuggets.
The Nuggets face a profound injury crisis going into this contest. Star center Nikola Jokic is out with a knee issue, and backup big Jonas Valanciunas is sidelined for at least a month. Other absentees include Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cameron Johnson, leaving Denver’s rotation thin and reliant on Jamal Murray, who is listed as probable. Denver’s depth will be tested, and the team must find scoring and defensive cohesion without its top talents. But they made it work in a win over the Toronto Raptors on New Year's Eve, which was a surprising result.
Player | Prop |
|---|---|
Donovan Mitchell | Over 29.5 Points |
Evan Mobley | Over 8.5 Rebounds |
Jamal Murray | Over 27.5 Points |
Jarrett Allen | Over 9.5 Rebounds |
Score Projection: Cavaliers 124 – Nuggets 108
Win Probability: Cavaliers 68%, Nuggets 32%
The Cavaliers should have no problem with the Nuggets in this contest on Friday night. Denver is decimated by injuries and without their top star, who is averaging a triple-double this year. Cleveland has some injuries to contend with as well, but they should overcome those and win big in Northeast Ohio heading into the weekend.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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