Nuggets' Odds to Claim No. 1 Seed in West Look Extremely Slim

The Denver Nuggets wound up finishing last season as the third-seed in the Western Conference.

And all in all, that was deemed a pretty successful outcome to their regular season.

Even if that finish didn't manage to result in any postseason success, when factoring in not only the competition baked within the top of the West towards the end of the year, but also the nagging injuries that the Nuggets dealt with all throughout the season, Denver's third-seed placement was pretty impressive.

But now heading into the Nuggets' 2026-27 season, they'll be starting off with a fresh slate and look to try and make a run at another first-one-seeded finish. The last time Denver managed to sit atop the West as the one-seed was in 2023, and that led them to winning the NBA Finals.

However, the odds for the Nuggets to make that feat happen once again seem to be pretty slim as we sit a month away from the start of the regular season.

Where Nuggets' Odds for No. 1 Seed Sit

According to odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, the Nuggets are tied with the third-best chances to come away with the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference by the end of the regular season.

And while on the surface, having the third-best odds tends to be a pretty good spot, the Nuggets still remain a pretty steep longshot to make that one-seed happen. Denver is tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves at +2.700 odds.

As for the first and second-best odds, those go to the OKC Thunder (-110) and San Antonio Spurs (+135) as the most likely teams to sit atop the conference. Which, considering each is coming off of 60-plus win seasons and each made the Western Conference Finals, makes sense.

From the Nuggets' perspective, though, that's not exactly the greatest sign for their hopes of overcoming them and their seeding. And based upon the moves they've made to the roster this offseason, it’s hard to find a concrete pathway for Denver to uproot both the Thunder and the Spurs.

Apr 12, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) drives to the basket against Denver Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji (22) during the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

They've lost multiple bench pieces headlined by Peyton Watson and Tim Hardaway Jr., haven't found a true answer to their defensive woes from last season, and their only major offseason addition to the roster was to bring in DeMar DeRozan on a veteran minimum deal.

Unless the Nuggets can remain consistently healthy throughout the year and majorly potent on the offensive end, stretching any higher than the third seed will be an uphill battle this season. And while that doesn't mean all hope is lost for Denver, once the postseason arrives, not having that home-court advantage over a team like San Antonio or OKC will sting quite a bit.

Maybe David Adelman has a few tricks up his sleeve in his second full season of being the Nuggets' head coach. But if not, Denver's path out of the Western Conference is going to look quite similar to what it did last time around in the postseason.

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