Jan. 13, 2026, 6:23 a.m. ET

The Denver Nuggets (26-13) and New Orleans Pelicans (9-32) meet Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NBA odds around the Nuggets vs. Pelicans odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.

Season series: Nuggets lead 2-0, with a 122-88 home win Oct. 29 and a 125-118 road win Nov. 19

The Nuggets beat the Milwaukee Bucks 108-104 Sunday, covering as a 6-point home underdog with the Under (219.5) cashing. G Tim Hardaway Jr. led the way with 25 points on 8-for-12 shooting, draining 5 3s. Denver, which is without 3-time MVP C Nikola Jokic for the foreseeable future, has gone 3-1 over its last 4 games, covering in each victory. It is 24-15 against the spread (ATS) on the season.

The Pelicans lost to the Orlando Magic 128-118 Sunday, failing to cover as a 7-point road underdog as the Over (235.5) hit. New Orleans had 6 players score in double figures, led by F Zion Williamson’s 22 points. The Pelicans snapped a 9-game losing streak Friday in a 21-point win over the Washington Wizards. They are 1-10 straight up and 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games. New Orleans is 21-19-1 ATS this season.

Watch the NBA on Fubo!Nuggets at Pelicans odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:11 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Nuggets -145 (bet $145 to win $100) | Pelicans +118 (bet $100 to win $118)Against the spread (ATS): Nuggets -2.5 (-110) | Pelicans +2.5 (-110)Over/Under (O/U): 234.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)Nuggets at Pelicans key injuries

Nuggets

G Christian Braun (ankle) outF Aaron Gordon (hamstring) probableF Cameron Johnson (knee) outC Nikola Jokic (knee) outG Jamal Murray (ankle) questionableC Jonas Valanciunas (calf) out

Pelicans

G Jose Alvardo (oblique) outF Saddiq Bey (hip flexor) questionableF Herbert Jones (ankle) outG Dejounte Murray (Achilles) out

For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.

Nuggets at Pelicans picks and predictionsPrediction

Nuggets 118, Pelicans 111

PASS.

The Pelicans (+118), even with a relatively healthy roster, haven’t shown much life. Avoid taking them as an underdog here. The Nuggets (-145) are a bit too expensive to consider as well.

BET NUGGETS -2.5 (-110).

The Nuggets, although Jokic has been out, have been playing at a high level. In their last 4 games, they have a 4-point road win over the Boston Celtics and a 1-point road win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Denver is 5-2 ATS across its last 7 games and is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 on the road.

The Pelicans have failed to cover in 2 straight home games and in 4 of their last 5 contests at the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans has allowed at least 111 points in all 5 of those performances.

Take NUGGETS -2.5 (-110).

BET UNDER 234.5 (-110).

Neither side has scored with much consistency as of late. The Pelicans are 1-5 O/U in their last 6 games and have scored 109 or fewer points in 4 of those contests.

The Nuggets have played their last 7 games without Jokic, and they have scored 115 points or fewer in all but one of those. Denver is 2-5 O/U in those games without Jokic.

Back UNDER 234.5 (-110).

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