Denver Nuggets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Picks and Prediction for Friday January 2 2026

By: Eddie Kline Published 01/02/2026, 01:40 AM ET

Nuggets Preview

In the first game of a Friday night NBA doubleheader on Prime Video, the Denver Nuggets will battle the Cleveland Cavaliers from Rocket Arena. For other NBA action see our NBA Predictions. The Nuggets (23-10) have been decimated by injuries and are currently a game back of San Antonio for second place in the Western Conference standings. On Wednesday, Denver converted 28 of 34 free-throw attempts during a 106-103 road victory against Toronto.

Peyton Watson led five Denver players in double figures with 24 points (9-19 FG) and eight rebounds. Jamal Murray contributed 21 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Jonas Valanciunas added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Nuggets, who improved to 13-5 on the road.

Cavaliers Preview

The Cleveland Cavaliers are four games above .500 at home and are locked in a three-way tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Cavaliers (19-16) rank ninth in the league in offensive efficiency and are scoring 119.6 points per contest. On Wednesday, Cleveland raced out to a 16-point lead after one quarter and cruised to a 129-113 home victory versus Phoenix.

All-Star G Donovan Mitchell tallied a game-high 34 points (10-18 FG), ten rebounds, and seven assists. Darius Garland chipped in 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting and dished out six assists. Evan Mobley added 16 points and ten rebounds for the Cavaliers, who shot 50 percent from the field.

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Nuggets vs Cavaliers Pick

Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic suffered a hyperextended left knee and will be re-evaluated later this month. The Nuggets are playing without four of their five starters and the Cavaliers are starting to find their form. Take Cleveland to win and cover at home. Final Score Prediction, Cleveland Cavaliers win 127-108. Betting on sports and on the Nuggets is easy, but even easier if you use the best sportsbooks. Make sure you know about how the fans are looking on prediction markets for the Cavaliers with the Novig promo code. Make sure when you place your bet on Cavaliers vs Nuggets you are using the BetMGM bonus code.

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