- The Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry’s MVP odds have jumped after a hot start to the 2023-24 season.
- Curry is averaging over 30 points per game and shooting better than 50 percent from the field.
- Denver’s Nikola Jokić is favored to win his third NBA MVP award.
Online oddsmakers are taking note of Stephen Curry’s hot start for the 2023-24 season. At BetUS, Curry’s NBA MVP odds have improved from +1500 to +1000 through the first month.
Curry’s MVP odds are on the move, as he searches for his second regular-season NBA MVP title. Curry previously won back-to-back NBA MVPs in 2014-15 and 2015-16. In addition to winning the regular season MVP in 2015, Curry and the Warriors won the NBA title.
Currently, Curry is averaging 30.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, while shooting at an incredible clip. The 35-year-old veteran is shooting 53 percent from the field and 47.5 percent from three.
The Davidson alum has notched two games with more than 40 points scoring. On October 30, Curry poured in a season-high 42 points in a 130-102 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. He is coming off his fourth game of 30 or more points in a 120-109 win against the Detroit Pistons.
Curry Just Off Career-High Pace
At 6-2, the Warriors are only eight games through the 2023-24 season. So, expectations should be tempered at this point. Nevertheless, if Curry were able to maintain his current pace, he’d come just short of breaking his career-high in scoring.
In 2020-21, Curry scored 32 points per game while shooting 48.2 percent from the field. Additionally, the four-time NBA champ notched 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists in the 2020-21 campaign.
Despite recording some of the best numbers of his career, Curry was not awarded with the MVP in 2020-21. Current MVP favorite, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, won the 2020-21 NBA MVP honors. In fact, Curry didn’t even come second in MVP voting.
Jokic won with 91 first-place votes, while Curry received five first-place votes and 23 second-place nods. Meanwhile, Philadephia’s Joel Embiid had one first-place and 62 second-place votes. This is a testament to how much competition has improved since Curry won his first MVP in 2015.
Athletic big men who are capable of playing from anywhere on the floor are taking precedence over sharpshooters like Curry. That said, Dallas’ Luka Doncic, who can shoot the lights out like Curry, currently has the second-best 2023-24 NBA MVP odds.
Jokic and Doncic Lead NBA MVP Odds
Curry has some tough competition to win the 2023-24 NBA MVP award. Despite Curry’s odds improving, +1000 represents an implied probability of just 9.1 percent. That’s a move from 6.3 percent to 9.1 percent from the start of the season.
As of Wednesday, November 8, Embiid (+800), Boston’s Jayson Tatum (+700), Luka Doncic (+400), and Jokic (+300) all have more favorable odds than Curry. The most similar player in that group to Curry is the Mavericks’ Doncic.
Doncic has been one of the most popular NBA MVP bets over the past few seasons. However, the 24-year-old native of Slovenia hasn’t captured the award. Many basketball fans believe that it is only a matter of time before Doncic nabs regular-season MVP honors.
In comparison to Curry, Doncic’s overall numbers have been more impressive. Through seven games, the Maverick is averaging 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game. He isn’t shooting as efficiently as Curry, but still has an impressive 49.3 percent field goal percentage and shooting 41.3 percent from three.
Additionally, the Mavericks are winning games. Currently, they’re 6-1 on the season. At this rate, Doncic should be in the thick of the MVP discussion at the end of the year. Currently, though, Jokic’s 28.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game are holding up well.
If Jokic were to maintain these numbers, it would be tough to deny the 6-foot-11 Serbian. His 28.4 points and 63.3 field goal percentage would represent a career-high for his nine-year career.
