Jan. 13, 2026, 6:23 a.m. ET<\/p>\n
The Denver Nuggets<\/a> (26-13) and New Orleans Pelicans<\/a> (9-32) meet Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s<\/a> NBA odds around the Nuggets vs. Pelicans odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions<\/a> for the best bets.<\/p>\n Season series: Nuggets lead 2-0, with a 122-88 home win Oct. 29 and a 125-118 road win Nov. 19<\/p>\n The Nuggets beat the Milwaukee Bucks<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n The Pelicans lost to the Orlando Magic<\/a> 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<\/a>. They are 1-10 straight up and 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games. New Orleans is 21-19-1 ATS this season.<\/p>\n Watch the NBA on Fubo!<\/a>Nuggets at Pelicans odds<\/p>\n Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook<\/a>; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub<\/a> for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:11 a.m. ET.<\/p>\n 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<\/p>\n Nuggets<\/p>\n G\u00a0Christian Braun\u00a0(ankle) outF\u00a0Aaron Gordon\u00a0(hamstring) probableF\u00a0Cameron Johnson\u00a0(knee) outC\u00a0Nikola Jokic\u00a0(knee) outG\u00a0Jamal Murray\u00a0(ankle) questionableC\u00a0Jonas Valanciunas\u00a0(calf) out<\/p>\n Pelicans<\/p>\n G\u00a0Jose Alvardo\u00a0(oblique) outF\u00a0Saddiq Bey\u00a0(hip flexor) questionableF\u00a0Herbert Jones\u00a0(ankle) outG\u00a0Dejounte Murray\u00a0(Achilles) out<\/p>\n For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report<\/a>.<\/p>\n Nuggets at Pelicans picks and predictionsPrediction<\/p>\n Nuggets 118, Pelicans 111<\/p>\n PASS.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n BET NUGGETS -2.5 (-110).<\/p>\n 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<\/a>. Denver is 5-2 ATS across its last 7 games and is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 on the road.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Take NUGGETS -2.5 (-110).<\/p>\n BET UNDER 234.5 (-110).<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Back UNDER 234.5 (-110).<\/p>\n For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com<\/a> and BetFTW<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter\/X<\/a> and like us on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n Access more NBA coverage:<\/p>\n HoopsHype<\/a> | Celtics Wire<\/a> | Nets Wire<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Rockets Wire<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Sixers Wire<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Thunder Wire<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Warriors Wire<\/a>\u00a0| LeBron Wire<\/a> |\u00a0Rookie Wire<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0List Wire<\/a><\/p>\n Our team of savvy editors independently handpicks all recommendations. If you purchase through our links, the USA Today Network may earn a commission. 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