NBA MVP Futures: Embiid Surging, Curry Slowing Down

Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid is making a strong case for the NBA MVP Award with his recent play, but Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry remains the favorite. Let's review the odds for NBA MVP with our top futures picks.

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant sprained his MCL against the New Orleans Pelicans and will miss the next four-to-six weeks. As a result, the NBA MVP markets were immediately removed from sportsbooks and major adjustments were made. Durant was hovering around +250 for the award prior to the injury.

However, that's not the only thing shaking up the odds in NBA futures. Embiid decided to crash the party and stake his claim for the award he believes he should've won last year.

We examine the NBA MVP futures odds and how recent events have changed them.

SEE ALSO: Are Super Bowl MVP Futures More Valuable Than Super Bowl Futures?

Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Curry hasn't looked very Curry-like of late. He's averaging just 20.8 points per game in his last seven contests. It's even more concerning that Curry's usage percentage has fallen from 30.3 to 24.2 since Klay Thompson returned.

Though he hasn't been over +200 for a while, I still think it's wise to fade him at these odds. It appears Curry has left the door open for others to catch him, and I expect his odds to get longer than +210.

Best Price: +210 via PointsBet Sportsbook

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Jokic is averaging 30.33 points, 13.66 rebounds, and 12.33 assists in his last three games. Additionally, he's recorded a triple-double in each contest and has an effective field-goal percentage of 65.5%.

However, there's still the issue of the narrative surrounding his MVP campaign, which Nuggets head coach Michael Malone recently addressed. He said Jokic is the most disrespected MVP in NBA history, and I think we could see Embiid take the award this year after losing out last season, even if Jokic's statistics are marginally better.

I was very interested in adding Jokic to the MVP portfolio at +1600, but I'd stay away at this price. (Durant's injury had the biggest impact on Jokic's odds. He went from +1600 to +650 and is as low as +500 at FanDuel Sportsbook.)

Best Price: +650 via BetMGM

https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1484042307191984129

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

In contrast to Curry's dipping usage rate, Embiid is at a whopping 41.3% in his last seven games. His pure volume and the efficiency with such a heavy workload are equally impressive. His 30.6 player efficiency rating is the highest of his career, slightly better than last season's 30.3.

My recommendation is to buy the +850 at FanDuel if you haven't yet hopped on the Embiid bandwagon. He was +5000 just two weeks ago, and I think he can be +300 soon enough. His odds won't get longer anytime soon, and you may even be running out of time to wager on him at +850.

Best Price: +850 via FanDuel Sportsbook

https://twitter.com/DrewHanlen/status/1483287595639476225

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