Summer League action continues in Las Vegas and it's no exaggeration to say it is not going to plan for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Expect improvements against Denver Nuggets but it's the Nuggets who get the nod on the Money Line
Denver Nuggets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction, Props and Best Bets
Denver Nuggets ML (-115)
You won't find anyone at Oklahoma City getting too fidgety about what's unfolding in the Summer League, but privately they should be concerned.
They went 0-3 in Salt Lake City where the final straw was a remarkable 103-69 loss to the Jazz.
And in Vegas they have started 0-2, beaten 96-84 by the Lakers and 104-79 by the Warriors.
The caveat - with all these teams - is that the Summer League is all about getting young players out of the gym; it has never been taken seriously as an exercise to measure teams going into the next NBA season.
But as a betting opportunity it looks obvious - the Thunder might have gone into the 2025/26 play-offs as the No.1 ranked team in the Western Conference, but at this Summer League they are there to be taken on.
Denver kicked off their Summer League schedule on Friday with a 97-86 loss to the Rockets, hardly a surprise with 22 turnovers and shooting 4-of-22 from three-point range.
But two days later they clicked much better in a 101-82 success over the Timberwolves, although the score is not quite as emphatic as it sounds given there were eight lead changes throughout the contest.
But the Nuggets saved their best to last, winning the fourth quarter 28-10 and this time shooting 37.5 per cent from distance. KJ Simpson had 19 points, Erik Stevenson added 18 and Bryce Hopkins had seven rebounds to go with his 16 points.
The bottom line is that the Nuggets look to be slightly ahead of a curve with a young group learning quickly - as well as just enjoying their moment to shine.
And as it stands, the -115 Nuggets on the Money Line looks absolutely the way to go.
Over 178.5 Points (-115)
If Thunder fans are looking for signs of encouragement, then they are there.
In their first three games in Salt Lake, they averaged around 37 per cent from the floor; they've upped that to 43 per cent since trotting off to Nevada.
Payton Sandfort and Josh Dix produced a couple of decent efforts each in Salt Lake and now others have started to step up.
First-round pick Bennett Stirtz had 18 points in the loss to the Lakers and backed it up with 13 points against the Warriors.
Brooks Barnhizer had 10 rebounds to go with 12 points against the Lakers, while another pick, Aday Mara, had 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists against Golden State.
They are allowing 99.5 points to their opponents this summer, though, are now starting to score better themselves. That should encourage the feeling these teams can fly past 178.5 points at -115.
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Denver Nuggets vs Oklahoma City Thunder odds
Nuggets | -115 |
Thunder | -115 |
Spread | Thunder -1.5 |
Total Points | O/U 178.5 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
