Washington Wizards (10-29) vs. Denver Nuggets (28-13)
January 17, 2026 9:00 pm EDT
The Line: Denver Nuggets -12.5; Over/Under: 232.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Washington Wizards and the Denver Nuggets duke it out at the Ball Arena on Saturday night. Here’s a Nuggets vs Wizards Prediction. This article will include a Nuggets vs Wizards Pick.
Washington Wizards Betting Preview
The Washington Wizards have been in a real slump as they’ve lost six of their last seven games overall. They will be hoping to arrest an ugly five-game slide after getting routed by the Kings in a 128-115 road defeat last night. Alex Sarr led the team in scoring with 19 points on eight of 12 shooting, Tre Johnson added 18 points with four assists while Justin Champagnie and Kyshawn George each scored 15 points. As a team, the Wizards shot 49 percent from the field and 11 of 34 from the 3-point line as they worked hard to cut an early 21-point deficit to just three points late in the second quarter. But that was as close as they would get as the Wizards leaked 34 points in the third quarter to fall behind by double digits again.
Denver Nuggets Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets are starting to heat up again as they’ve won five of their last six games overall. They will be gunning for a fourth straight victory after running past the Mavericks in a 118-109 road win on Wednesday. Jamal Murray led the team with 33 points and five assists on 13 of 24 shooting, Aaron Gordon added 22 points on eight of 12 shooting while Peyton Watson chipped in with 18 points on six of 12 shooting. As a team, the Nuggets shot 49 percent from the field and 16 of 38 from the 3-point line as they opened the second quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 17-point lead into halftime. This was crucial as they held a double-digit lead until the final 1:40 of the third quarter.
Why the Denver Nuggets will win
- The Wizards have lost each of their last 15 road games on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- The Nuggets have won nine of their last 10 home games against Southeast Division opponents after winning as underdogs.
- The Wizards have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six games against Western Conference opponents.
- The favorites have covered the spread in seven of the Wizards’ last eight games.
Why the Washington Wizards will win
- The Nuggets have lost each of their last four games as home favorites following a road win.
- The underdogs have won eight of the Nuggets’ last 11 games.
- The Nuggets have failed to cover the spread in each of their last seven games on the first leg of a back-to-back against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The road team has covered the spread in five of the Nuggets’ last six games.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Nuggets’ last six games as favorites have gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of the Wizards’ last four games at Ball Arena have gone OVER the total points line.
Denver Nuggets Player Facts
- Peyton Watson is one of only five qualified players in the league averaging at least 1.0 threes, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks this season.
- Spencer Jones has played the most minutes in a single game without making a field goal of any player in the league this season – 37:47 against Raptors on December 31.
Washington Wizards Player Facts
- Alex Sarr rank 1st amongst qualified players for steals + blocks per game (3.0) this season.
- Justin Champagnie ranks 20th amongst qualified players for rebounds per 36 minutes (11.2) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Nuggets rank 1st in the league for points per game this season (122.6).
- The Nuggets rank 30th in the league for opponent turnovers per game this season (12.2).
- The Wizards rank 30th in the league for point differential per game this season (-11.3).
- The Wizards rank 30th in the league for opponent rebounds per game this season (47.8).
Nuggets vs Wizards Prediction
The Wizards are still missing Khris Middleton, Cam Whitmore, Trae Young and Bilal Coulibaly, while the Nuggets have ruled out Nikola Jokic, Jonas Valanciunas, Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson. The Wizards have really struggled to stay competitive ever since they traded away CJ McCollum as they’ve yet to see the newly acquired Trae Young take the court. In contrast, the Nuggets have been playing excellent basketball in the absence of Nikola Jokic and most of the credit goes to Jamal Murray who has taken his game to another level lately. The line was always going to be hefty for this matchup, but it’s still not high enough to sway me from taking the Nuggets to win in a blowout at home.
