Rockets vs. Nuggets Prediction and Odds for January 15: Top-Four Seeds Battle Out West

The Houston Rockets (26-12) are headed to Mile-High to face the Denver Nuggets (24-15) in a battle between two of the top four teams in the Western Conference.

The Rockets enter on the back of a comeback win against the Memphis Grizzlies and a four-game winning streak. They’re 12-6 on the road and have not yet faced the Nuggets.

Denver is on the second night of a back-to-back, but no player not named Jamal Murray played more than 29 minutes in last night’s blowout win over the Dallas Mavericks that saw the Nuggets also reach four straight wins. 

Here, we will break down the odds and share our favorite Rockets vs. Nuggets betting picks.

Rockets vs. Nuggets Betting Odds for Wednesday, January 15

The Rockets are 22-16 (57.9 percent) against the spread, 11-6 (64.7 percent) ATS on the road, and 16-12 (57.1 percent) ATS as a favorite.

The Nuggets are 19-19-1 (50 percent) ATS, 9-9-1 (50 percent) ATS at home, and 7-4 (63.6 percent) ATS as an underdog.

Odds for the Rockets vs. Nuggets game are courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Head over to BetMGM to Get Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets*.

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Rockets vs. Nuggets Prediction

Houston Rockets Preview

The Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, and several others are a testament that defense in the NBA isn’t dead. In fact, it’s thriving. 

The NBA’s evolution led to offenses gaining an advantage based on the laws of the game. Players also became incredibly skilled, and offensive actions became layered and complex.

With all of that in mind, it makes what the Rockets are doing even more impressive. They rank third in defensive rating, points allowed per game, and three-pointers allowed per game, and only the Magic allowed fewer assists per game.

Houston has also been great on the interior, ranking third in assists, fourth in rebounds, and fifth in points allowed per game to opposing centers. Given they’re about to take on a three-time MVP in Nikola Jokic, that’s an important detail.

The Rockets aren’t just a defensive team. They rank 11th in offensive rating and are up to fifth in January, giving them a yearlong net rating of +6.1 (sixth). That number barely changes to +5.9 on the road, which makes them the fourth-best away team in the sport. 

Houston’s recent offensive surge has been powered by Jalen Green, who averaged 30 points and 4.5 rebounds on 51.2 percent shooting from the field and 45.6 percent three-point shooting in 2025. Green has all of the tools to be an All-NBA-level player and can make the Rockets truly elite when he plays at this level, but his issue throughout his four professional seasons has been an overall lack of consistency.

Although the Rockets have not yet played the Nuggets, they went 5-3 against top-four seeds in both conferences, with two of those losses coming against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Denver Nuggets Preview

The Nuggets skated past the thin ice they tiptoed across in the early portion of the season, winning eight of their last 10 and 13 of their last 18 games.

It would be unfair to discuss this team without starting with the excellence of Nikola Jokic. Now 29 years old, Jokic averaged 30.6 points (third), 13.2 rebounds (third), and 9.9 assists (second) on 55.5 percent shooting from the floor and 47.1 percent from three, which is second in the league.

More often than not, Denver’s defense has been the cause of its issues. That’s why it’s so impressive that the team is up from 16th in defensive rating for the year two second in 2025, only behind the Thunder.

Meanwhile, the once-removed champions are fourth in offensive efficiency and rebound rate. They make the third-fewest threes per game, but they allow the sixth-lowest percentage from deep and score more points in the paint per game than any other team.

While Houston is solid at defending the interior, the Nuggets are just 25th in paint points allowed per game. That makes this an important defensive game for Jokic and the returning Aaron Gordon, since the Rockets are seventh in average paint points.

Like the visitors, Denver’s net rating (+4.6 - seventh) barely changes at home (+4.8). 

Instead, they’ll want to turn to last night’s blowout against the Mavericks for any additional motivation.

Notably, Jamal Murray scored 45 points on 69.2 percent shooting in the Dallas win. Russell Westbrook has also been great for Denver recently, averaging 15.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 7.0 rebounds on 53.6 percent shooting over the last month.

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Rockets vs. Nuggets Betting Pick

• Rockets vs. Nuggets: Nuggets +1.5 (-110) at BetMGM

The Nuggets’ staggering +11.3 net rating over their last 10 games shows they are hitting their stride at an important time of the year. That said, the Rockets have been nothing short of extremely consistent and can make life difficult for any opponent because of their defense.

Jokic and Gordon are going to need strong defensive outings, while the Denver offense is going to need to knock down shots against tighter pressure than it will see on most nights. Their recent showings prove they’re more than capable of that, but they need to execute.

At their best, the Nuggets can’t be defended by anyone. Their spike in form suggests they’re entering that territory, and they have our pick on Wednesday night.

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How to Watch Rockets vs. Nuggets on 1/15/25

• When: Wednesday, January 15 @ 9:00 p.m. ET

• Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO

• TV: NBA League Pass

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