Curry spices up MVP race but Jokic is fave
Nikola Jokic is still the betting favorite to win this year’s NBA Most Valuable Player award, but an incredible April from Steph Curry has him making ground in the race.
Curry scored 49 points on national television in Golden
State’s 107-96 win over Philadelphia on Monday, marking the third time this month he’s made at least 10 three-pointers in a game. As a result, Curry’s MVP odds dropped from 50-1 to 20-1 overnight at BetMGM. That number was 100-1 on Sunday.
It’s been quite a month for Curry, who’s averaging 40.8 points per game during his 10 games in April. The Warriors are 6-4 during that stretch, including a win over Jokic’s Denver Nuggets. Curry scored 53 points in that showdown, which included going 10 of 18 from beyond the arc.
The incredible 3-point output is what’s grabbing headlines. In total, Curry has four games in April with at least 10 threes made, which is an incredible feat even by his lofty standards.
That being said, it’s still Jokic’s award to lose. He’s the heavy favorite at BetMGM, sitting at -300 odds. He’s also taken 34% of the money wagered on MVP bets at BetMGM, which is the most of any player. Only LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo have received more total bets to win the award.
With Jamal Murray out for the season, the Nuggets’ title chances took a hit, but Jokic’s MVP candidacy hasn’t. He also had a big night Monday, finishing with 47 points and 15 rebounds in a double-overtime win over the Memphis Grizzlies. For April, Joki is averaging a triple-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Denver is 8-2 this month.
For the season, Jokic- is averaging 26.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game. Denver is the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference entering Tuesday’s action. The Warriors are tied for the No. 9 seed with a .500 record.