Warriors vs. 76ers Friday NBA injury report, odds: Golden State begins life without injured Steph Curry, whose MVP odds lengthen

The marquee matchup on Friday's NBA schedule is a potential Finals preview between the Warriors and 76ers in Philadelphia, televised by ESPN (7:30 p.m. ET). It was also to two feature MVP candidates in two-time winner Stephen Curry and 2021-22 runner-up Joel Embiid, but Golden State will be without Currey for the immediate future and thus is an 8.5-point underdog at Caesars Sportsbook. Curry's odds to win a third MVP also shifted.

Curry was no sure thing to play Wednesday at Indiana in the second half of a back-to-back – originally listed as questionable – but he did, and was frankly about the only Warriors player to show up. He posted 38 points, 27 of which came in the first half, but left with 2:04 remaining in the third quarter. Curry was trying to defend the Pacers' Jalen Smith, who ran into his arm. Curry immediately grabbed his left shoulder and continued to hold it as he ran down the court. The Warriors subsequently called a timeout and Curry went to the locker room. He wouldn't return and didn't speak to reporters afterward, an indication of the injury's severity.

An MRI revealed that Curry suffered a left shoulder subluxation and is out indefinitely. The Warriors also announced that a timeline will be provided "in the coming days." It's reportedly be going to be about a month on the sideline for Curry. He is averaging 30.0 points and 6.8 assists while shooting 50% from the field and 43.4% from deep.

In the 894 minutes he has been on the court this season, the Warriors have an offensive rating of 118.9 and a net efficiency of plus-7.0. In the 503 minutes Curry has been off the court, Golden State's offensive rating is 99.9 and net efficiency is minus-11.1. Golden State is 0-3 without him this year and was 2-7 last season.

Curry's MVP odds dropped from +1200 to +2000 at Caesars Sportsbook on Thursday after the injury announcement. Golden State's NBA title odds stayed the same at +600 as Curry should be back for the postseason.

Golden State is an embarrassing 2-13 on the road this season – only Orlando has fewer away wins – and might be without Draymond Green tonight as well. Green was questionable as well on Wednesday but played and might as well not have. He had just two points, three assists and six turnovers before being ejected against the Pacers. Andrew Wiggins hasn't played since Dec. 3 due to a groin injury and will miss another game despite returning to practice on Thursday.

Other than Tyrese Maxey, who hasn't played for a few weeks and isn't close to a return, the Sixers are pretty healthy. These teams split last season, each winning at home. 

• Picks: NFL | NBA | CFB | CBB
• DFS: Lineup Optimizer | Picks
• Early Edge: YouTube | Apple Podcasts
• Newsletters: SportsLine Daily | Fantasy

Qualifying SportsLine members receive a 30-day free trial of Paramount+ premium. Sync your account right here.