Opening week of the 2026-27 NBA season sends the Denver Nuggets on the road to meet the Oklahoma City Thunder, tipping at 9:30 PM ET on October 22, 2026 inside Paycom Center. Here is everything on the Nuggets vs Thunder odds, the latest health news and how each roster stacks up.
Nuggets vs Thunder odds at a Glance
| Matchup | Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder |
|---|---|
| Records (2026-27) | Nuggets 0-0 | Thunder 1-0 |
| 2025-26 records | Nuggets 54-28 | Thunder 64-18 |
| Spread | Thunder -7.5 (-115) / Nuggets +7.5 (-105) |
| Moneyline | Nuggets +250 / Thunder -298 |
| Total | O/U 235.5 (over -115, under -105) |
| Venue | Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK |
| Date | Thursday, October 22, 2026 |
| Time | 9:30 PM ET (6:30 PM MST) |
| TV | ESPN |
Odds shown are DraftKings lines via ESPN as of Wed Oct 21 2026 10:49 AM MST and can change before tipoff.
Opening Numbers vs. Current Prices
On the moneyline, the Nuggets went from +225 at the open to +250, while the Thunder moved from -278 to -298. The Nuggets vs Thunder odds opened with the Thunder at -7.5 and the home side now sits at -7.5, so the spread has not moved. The total opened at 231.5 and is 235.5 now, a move of 4 points.
Converted to implied probability, Nuggets at +250 works out to 28.6% and Thunder at -298 to 74.9%, with the difference above 100% reflecting the sportsbook margin. The Thunder carry the shorter price in the current Nuggets vs Thunder odds.
The Big Picture for Both Teams
The Denver Nuggets finished 2025-26 at 54-28 (28-13 at home, 26-15 on the road), the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, scoring 122.1 points per game and allowing 116.9 for a +5.2 average margin. They closed the season 10-0 over their last 10 games under head coach David Adelman.
The Oklahoma City Thunder finished 2025-26 at 64-18 (34-7 at home, 30-10 on the road), the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, scoring 119.0 points per game and allowing 107.9 for a +11.1 average margin. Head coach Mark Daigneault saw the club go 7-3 across its final 10 contests. Health news like this often feeds into the Nuggets vs Thunder odds.
The 2025-26 series between these teams ended 3-1 in favor of Thunder, per ESPN results (Feb 2: Thunder 121-111; Feb 28: Thunder 127-121; Mar 9: Thunder 129-126; Apr 11: Nuggets 127-107). This is the first of the 2026-27 regular-season meetings, and the Nuggets vs Thunder odds reflect a fresh slate for both clubs.
ESPN’s game page frames the night simply: "Oklahoma City plays Denver in conference matchup." With the season only days old, the market relies on rosters, health and last year’s results. Roster turnover is one reason the Nuggets vs Thunder odds look the way they do.
The Nuggets open their 2026-27 regular season in this game, so they come in at 0-0 and fully rested. The Thunder are 1-0 after a 116-104 win at the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, Oct 20, which gives them 1 day of rest and no back-to-back; they did not play on Wednesday, Oct 21. Those numbers are a useful lens on the Nuggets vs Thunder odds.
Recent Form
October exhibition results for the Nuggets read L 109-97 vs. Utah Jazz; W 117-106 at Utah Jazz; W 133-128 vs. Chicago Bulls; L 122-110 at LA Clippers; W 121-106 at Los Angeles Lakers, a 3-2 run in which they put up 115.6 per game and gave up 114.2. Keep that in mind when reading the Nuggets vs Thunder odds.
In the preseason the Thunder went 1-3 over 4 exhibition games on ESPN’s log (L 128-126 vs. Milwaukee Bucks; L 113-110 at Atlanta Hawks; W 114-112 OT vs. Indiana Pacers; L 116-89 at Houston Rockets), averaging 109.8 points while allowing 117.2.
Preseason results come with caveats, since rotations and minutes are often experimental, while one regular-season game is too small a sample to define a team.
Health Check
Denver Nuggets: Spencer Jones (F, Hamstring) is listed as day-to-day; Julian Strawther (G, Knee) is listed as out, with an estimated return of Nov 29, 2026.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Thomas Sorber (C, Knee) is listed as day-to-day; Nikola Topic (G, Back) is listed as day-to-day; Otega Oweh (G, Achilles) is listed as out, with an estimated return of Jul 1, 2027.
Final statuses are often confirmed close to tipoff, so watch for movement in the Nuggets vs Thunder odds if a listed player is ruled in or out.
Current Rosters and Key Players
Among players still on the current roster, the Nuggets’ top 2025-26 per-game marks on ESPN’s leader board belong to Nikola Jokic in points (27.7), rebounds (12.9) and assists (10.7). Jamal Murray (25.4 ppg) and Cameron Johnson (12.2 ppg) also return as scoring options.
ESPN’s current Nuggets roster lists 17 players: Marvin Bagley III, Christian Braun, Trevon Brazile, DeMar DeRozan, Alpha Diallo, Aaron Gordon, DaRon Holmes II, Bryce Hopkins, Cameron Johnson, Nikola Jokic, Spencer Jones, Tyus Jones, Jamal Murray, Ryan Nembhard, Zeke Nnaji, Julian Strawther and Cam Whitmore. First-year players include Trevon Brazile, Alpha Diallo and Bryce Hopkins.
Among players still on the current roster, the Thunder’ top 2025-26 per-game marks on ESPN’s leader board belong to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in points (31.1) and assists (6.6) and Chet Holmgren in rebounds (8.9). Chet Holmgren (17.1 ppg) and Ajay Mitchell (13.6 ppg) also return as scoring options.
ESPN’s current Thunder roster lists 17 players: Brooks Barnhizer, Alex Caruso, Josh Dix, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren, Aday Mara, Jared McCain, Ajay Mitchell, Otega Oweh, Thomas Sorber, Bennett Stirtz, Nikola Topic, Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams. First-year players include Josh Dix, Aday Mara, Otega Oweh, Thomas Sorber and Bennett Stirtz.
TV and Start Time
Tipoff is 9:30 PM ET (6:30 PM MST) on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at Paycom Center. TV: ESPN. For live box scores and play-by-play, the ESPN game page carries the official feed.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Nuggets vs. Thunder
What are the Nuggets vs Thunder odds?
As of Wed Oct 21 2026 10:49 AM MST, DraftKings lists the spread at Thunder -7.5 (-115) / Nuggets +7.5 (-105), the moneyline at Nuggets +250 / Thunder -298 and the total at 235.5 (over -115, under -105).
Who is on the injury report for Nuggets vs. Thunder?
Nuggets: Spencer Jones (day-to-day) and Julian Strawther (out); Thunder: Thomas Sorber (day-to-day), Nikola Topic (day-to-day) and Otega Oweh (out), per ESPN.
What time does Nuggets vs. Thunder start and what channel is it on?
Tipoff is 9:30 PM ET (6:30 PM MST) on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK. The broadcast is on ESPN.
Have the Nuggets vs Thunder odds moved since opening?
The home spread opened at -7.5 and is -7.5 now; the total opened at 231.5 and sits at 235.5.
How did the Nuggets and Thunder finish last season?
The Nuggets went 54-28 in 2025-26 and the Thunder went 64-18, per ESPN standings.