Suns’ Chris Paul, Devin Booker given top-7 odds to win NBA’s MVP award

The Phoenix Suns have a couple of contenders for the 2021-22 NBA regular-season Most Valuable Player.

FanDuel Sportsbook currently has the team’s starting backcourt duo of Chris Paul and Devin Booker listed as having the sixth- and seventh-best odds at winning the award.

Paul has +3500 (35/1) odds of bringing home the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, while Booker is right behind his teammate at +3600 (36/1).

That means if you put down $10 on either guard to win the fourth MVP award in franchise history, then you would bring home a minimum of $350 in profit.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (+230) leads the way, closely followed by Denver Nuggets big Nikola Jokic (+330) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (+360) before a slight drop off in Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (+500) and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (+1000).

NBA history shows that Booker might have the edge between the two Suns candidates, according to Stats By STATS.

There have been 14 players since the 1976-77 campaign that have averaged at least 25 points while playing for a team that has a winning percentage of at least .800, with 10 of those 14 taking home the league’s MVP.

Booker is averaging 25.5 points per game while the Suns boast the NBA’s best record at 43-10 (.811).

Phoenix also has a .826 winning percentage (38-8) in games the three-time All-Star participates in, as Booker missed a seven-game stretch in the beginning of December.

Two players have combined for three MVP trophies in Suns history: Charles Barkley in the 1992-93 season that ended at the hands of Michael Jordan in the NBA Finals, and Steve Nash’s back-to-back effort in 2004-06.

The Suns end a four-game road trip against the Sixers on Tuesday night at 5 p.m. on ESPN 620 AM / 98.7 FM HD-2.

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