Without Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors weren't supposed to beat the Denver Nuggets on Friday. But they were supposed to put up much more of a fight.

Jamal Murray shines as a leader for the Denver Nuggets, scoring 23 points in a win over the Golden State Warriors.

The Golden State Warriors (5-4) face the Denver Nuggets (5-2) Friday in NBA Cup group stage action. Tip-off from Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, is set for 10 p.m. ET. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's NBA odds around the Warriors vs. Nuggets odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.

Denver has been incredibly lucky with injuries early in their 2025-26 campaign, as they have not had a single player in their regular nine-man rotation miss a game yet. The Nuggets will have a significant leg up on the Warriors on Friday night, gaining a Steph Curry-sized advantage before players even touch the court.

Indiana will try to end its three-game road slide when the Pacers take on Denver. Saturday's meeting is the first of the season between the teams.

Jonas Valanciunas and the Nuggets recently agreed to restructure the third and final year of his contract, league sources told The Denver Post. Valanciunas will be paid at least $2 million of his $10 million non-guaranteed salary next season, in exchange for his 2026 guarantee date being pushed back from June 29 to July 8.

The Golden State Warriors (5-4) announced on Thursday that Stephen Curry would not play against the Denver Nuggets (5-2), and they revealed another rotation pla

Stephen Curry missed his second straight game with an illness when the Golden State Warriors played the Nuggets in Denver on Friday night. Draymond Green (ribs) and Jimmy Butler (back) returned to the Warriors' lineup after missing the Warriors' 121-116 loss to Sacramento on Tuesday night when Butler also was sidelined.