Bettor Places Massive $25K Wager on Denver Nuggets to Win the NBA Championship

The Denver Nuggets have been one of the hotter teams in the NBA as of late, jumping up to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference by winning nine of their last 10 games.

Denver's recent hot stretch -- despite a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday -- has inspired one bettor at BetMGM Sportsbook to invest in Nikola Jokic and company in the futures market.

According to Ben Fawkes, a bettor placed $25K on the Nuggets to win the title this season. If the Nuggets complete the feat, the bettor would win $350,000.

One bettor at @BetMGM wagered $25,000 on the Denver Nuggets to win the NBA title at 14-1 odds.

Bet would win $350K.

Golden State Warriors are the book's biggest current NBA title liability
— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) February 25, 2025

Since the 1996-97 season, every team that has won the NBA title has finished in the top eight in the NBA in net rating during the regular season.

Denver currently fits that profile, as it is fifth in the league in net rating. The Nuggets also have the No. 2 offensive rating in the league.

There's no doubt that Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets are one of the best teams in the NBA, and they have proven that they can win a title with this core, capturing the title in the 2022-23 season. However, Denver has struggled against some of the better teams in the league this season, posting a 13-14 record against teams that are over .500.

The biggest drawback for Denver is its lack of 3-point shooting on the roster. The Nuggets have a bit of a thin bench, and they rank 28th in the league in 3-pointers made per game. While making a ton of 3s isn't the only way to win games, Denver may have trouble keeping up against teams like Boston, Cleveland, and Oklahoma City (the three teams above them in the odds) since they are all top-10 in the league in 3s made per game.

At the end of the day, Jokic is widely considered to be the league's best player, which bodes well for Denver's chances in any seven-game series. This bettor is hoping Jokic's star power and the Nuggets' chemistry that they've built over multiple playoff runs will be enough for them to win the West and the title in the 2024-25 season.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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