Stephen Curry is off to a blistering start, having topped the 40-point mark in two of Golden State's first four games. After dropping 42 in New Orleans on Monday, he's averaging 33.5 PPG on 56/47/92 shooting splits.
You can still get Curry at 10-to-1 odds for MVP with some books going as high as 12-to-1.
Chris Paul has also played very well for the Warriors in the early going. The counting stats don't pop at 11.3 PPG on 40% shooting with just one made 3-pointer, but through four games the Warriors have outscored their opponents by a combined 46 points during Paul's minutes.
That's a monster number, and it backs up the eye test in terms of the significant impact Paul has had both as a second-unit stabilizer and an actual boon during non-Curry minutes -- during which the Warriors have historically gone in the tank. His midrange jumper looked vintage in the second half against the Pelicans. If that comes around, Paul's box scores will start to square with his point differentials.
You can still get Paul, who is now coming off the bench for the first time in his career, at 13-to-1 odds for Sixth Man of the Year.
At this point, those are two of the better value bets you'll find on the awards board at FanDuel when you consider how the Warriors have looked. They're 3-1 with all three wins on the road, where they were so abysmal last season. It's early, of course, but that's why there's still value in the respective prices. If the Warriors keep playing like this for a few more weeks, those odds are going to start falling.
Curry's MVP line, in particular, needs to be jumped on quickly. Not only is he cooking, but there's every reason to think it'll continue. Klay Thompson is not the consistent shooter/scorer he once was, and we know Paul isn't the scorer he once was. Curry has to score big to keep the Warriors competitive, and it looks like he knows it. His shot-hunting aggression to start the season has been palpable.
I wouldn't call Curry the MVP favorite. That has to be Nikola Jokic. But I can make a strong case that he should be number two on the board, yet Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid are all listed at shorter odds. That feels like an opportunity.
