Is Nikola Jokic Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Nets vs. Nuggets)

Denver Nuggets cent Nikola Jokic is nearing a return to the lineup, but it won't come on Thursday night against the Brooklyn Nets.

Jokic (knee) has been ruled out for that matchup, but it appears he could return very early in February. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Jokic is in the "ramp up" phase of his recovery and will be re-evaluated in "about a week." That puts the Nuggets star on track to return before the All-Star break -- if the team desires for him to.

𝑩𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮: Nikola Jokic will be reevaluated in “about a week” per @ShamsCharania

He’s in the “ramp up” phase of his return to play process pic.twitter.com/tV0yqgYQC3
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) January 27, 2026

The Nuggets have stayed afloat with Jokic banged up, winning nine of the 15 games that he's missed. So, Denver has a cushion to let the three-time league MVP get healthy this season rather than rush him back into the lineup.

On Thursday night, the Nuggets are set as 7.5-point favorites against the Brooklyn Nets, even though they are down four starters in Jokic, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun.

This season, Jokic has made yet another case to win MVP as long as he meets the NBA's 65-game threshold (he can only miss two more games). The star center is averaging 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game while shooting 60.5 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from 3.

With Jokic out, here's a look at how to bet on Denver in the prop market as it looks to split the season series with Brooklyn.

Best Nuggets Prop Bet vs. Nets

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Peyton Watson OVER 18.5 Points (-126)

A former first-round pick, Watson has taken on an expanded role with Jokic out of the lineup over the last month. In 14 games without the star center (Watson missed one game during this 15-game stretch), Watson is averaging 22.4 points on 16.3 shots per game, knocking down 48.7 percent of his attempts from the field and 43.4 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.

Watson is making a serious case to get paid this offseason in a contract year, and while he failed to clear this line in his last game, he still took 20 shots for Denver. That usage is key, especially with Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson all also out on Thursday night.

Brooklyn ranks 26th in the NBA in defensive rating this season, and Watson had 23 points on 14 shots in his last meeting with the Nets. Since Jokic went down, he has 19 or more points in 10 of his 14 games.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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