Nikola Jokić finished with eight assists against Indiana. Kevin Durant scored 21 against both Minnesota and Phoenix. If you’re backing Denver against Houston, those results are a good reason to look closely at the number on each line.
Start with a Nuggets win. That sends us to Jokić’s assists in Denver wins and Durant’s scoring in Houston losses. We’ll compare each with his record across all games for the same team and seasons.
Two Nuggets parlay picks to compare
| Player & prop | Odds | With this result | All games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Jokić 8+ assists 2025–26 and 2026–27 regular seasons |
−209 | 85.4% 41 of 48 DEN wins |
82.2% 60 of 73 appearances |
| Kevin Durant Over 20.5 points 2025–26 and 2026–27 regular seasons |
−118 | 81.8% 27 of 33 HOU losses |
75.0% 66 of 88 appearances |
Nikola Jokić: 8+ assists
Eight would have counted in all five Denver wins he played this season. Nine would have dropped Indiana from that list and four wins from the longer sample. DraftKings priced eight at −209 and nine at −127. The ninth assist pays more at those prices, but it also would have turned four Denver wins from hits into misses. Jokić was questionable with a right elbow sprain on the NBA’s Monday morning injury report, so this comparison depends on him being cleared for his usual minutes.
Kevin Durant: Over 20.5 points
Durant scored exactly 21 in losses to Minnesota and Phoenix. Both count at 20.5, but there’s little room to spare. He cleared the line in all three Houston losses he played this season, while the longer loss sample includes six misses. Recent games with 14 against Oklahoma City and 12 against Boston also show how far below the line he can finish.
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What to weigh with a Denver win
Durant is the option to compare if you see him getting to 21 even in a Houston loss. If you’re looking at Denver’s passing, the choice between eight and nine assists can wait until you know what kind of workload Jokić can handle. Follow the live Nuggets at Rockets matchup and our NBA coverage.
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