Denver Nuggets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Picks and Prediction for Thursday October 22 2026
In the second game of a Thursday night NBA on ESPN doubleheader, the Denver Nuggets will battle the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Paycom Center will be a raucous scene and tipoff is scheduled for October 22, 2026 at 9:30 pm EST. The Thunder have been installed as a 7.5 point home favorite and the total is set at 235.5. Be ready for all of this season's NBA action with our free NBA picks.
Denver still a threat in the Western Conference
The Denver Nuggets have reached the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons and won the NBA Finals in 2023. Last season the Nuggets (54-28) won 26 of their 41 road games and were upset in the opening round of the playoffs by Minnesota. The Western Conference is watered down and as long as C Nikola Jokic is healthy, Denver will contend for a championship.
The Nuggets went 3-2 in the preseason and finished with a 121-106 road victory against the Los Angeles Lakers. Jamal Murray led a balanced Denver scoring attack with 21 points (8-15 FG) and six assists. Jokic added 17 points, eight assists, and six boards in 31 minutes of action.
Last season, Denver led the league in offensive efficiency and averaged 122.1 points per game. Unfortunately when Jokic is off the floor, the Nuggets were almost 20 points per 100 possessions worse. Denver must improve defensively to challenge for a title and gave up 116.9 points per contest a season ago.
Oklahoma City eager to get back to the NBA Finals
The Oklahoma City Thunder won an NBA best 64 games last season, but lost to San Antonio in Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals. The Thunder won 34 of their 41 home games and traded defensive stalwart Lu Dort to Atlanta in the offseason. Oklahoma City selected Michigan C Aday Mara with the 12th overall pick in the NBA Draft to stand up to some of the elite Western Conference big men.
On Opening Night, Oklahoma City built a 21-point halftime lead and coasted to a 116-104 road triumph against San Antonio. MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied a game-high 32 points (13-27 FG), six rebounds, and four assists. Jared McCain added 20 points (6-8 3PT) in 22 minutes off the Thunder bench.
The Thunder have led the league in defensive efficiency in back-to-back seasons and held the Spurs to 39 percent shooting. Oklahoma City connected on 14-for-31 from the three-point line and shot 45 percent overall. The Thunder’s largest lead was 26 points and they led for 92 percent of the game.
Denver Nuggets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Picks and Prediction
Pick: Denver Nuggets +7.5 and ML +265
Denver G Julian Strawther was diagnosed with a left knee sprain and will be sidelined until the end of November. The Thunder took three of four from the Nuggets last season, but both home victories were by a combined nine points. Denver is a dangerous team when healthy and will cover this number on the road.
Pick: Over 235.5
These two teams ranked in the bottom half of the league in tempo, but both offenses are elite. The Thunder do a great job of locking down on the perimeter, but do not have an answer for Jokic inside. In the four meetings last season, the average total points scored was 242.5 and I believe it will get there in this one. Take the over.
Final Score Prediction: Denver Nuggets win 123-119