93rd Academy Awards Betting Odds: Nomadland Leads Best Picture Faves
The 93rd annual Academy Awards ceremony to be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles will have a different feel to it. It is expected to take place on April 25 in an all but empty venue, with actors most likely being presented their Oscars virtually.
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The official nominees in each category have yet to be announced, with that expected to happen on January 17, 2021. Oddsmakers, though, are taking a shot in the dark on which films and actors will get nominated and which will win the awards.
| Film | Odds |
|---|---|
| Nomadland | +215 |
| Mank | +500 |
| The Trial of the Chicago 7 | +600 |
| News of the World | +800 |
| One Night In Miami | +800 |
| Da 5 Bloods | +900 |
| Minari | +1400 |
| Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom | +1800 |
| Soul | +2000 |
| The Father | +2500 |
Odds as of November 18 at Bovada
Best Picture Odds
Last year, “Parasite” made history as the first film not in the English language to win Best Picture. This year there are three choices from Netflix on the board, including one from Amazon Prime Video.
Nomadland, the Oscar odds betting favorite at +225, will be released next month and stars Frances McDormand, who won the Best Actress award in 2018 for her leading role in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Nomadland is described as a movie about a woman who embarks on a journey through the American West after losing everything during the recession.
Another movie that is getting a ton of praise is The Trial of the Chicago 7, which has +600 Oscar betting odds to win Best Picture. The film was dropped in September by the streaming service Netflix and is based on the infamous 1969 trial of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy arising from the countercultural protests in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
| Director | Odds |
|---|---|
| Chloe Zhao (Nomadland) | +225 |
| David Fincher (Mank) | +265 |
| Regina King (One Night In Miami) | +315 |
| Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7) | +450 |
| Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods) | +575 |
Odds as of November 18 at Bovada
Best Director Odds
The Best Director award should be very interesting with a ton of notable names on the oddsboard. Regina King, who won an Emmy for Lead Actress in a Limited Series for her role in the show Watchmen, gets her first chance at directing a movie and her Oscar odds at +315 give her a good chance to win.
Aaron Sorkin (+450) is also a good bet. He is no stranger to the Academy Awards, having been nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for Moneyball and Molly’s Game, and winning for The Social Network. Sorkin wrote the screenplay and directed this film.
However, it’s Chloe Zhao who is the favorite at +225 for her directing work in Nomadland. Zhao had directed a few low-budget films before Nomadland, as well as being pegged to direct the Marvel movie The Eternals. Zhao actually received several accolades, including nominations for Independent Spirit Award for Best Film and Best Director for her 2017 movie The Rider.
This will not be an easy choice as all five potential nominees have done some great work on these films and will be well represented throughout the other awards.
| Actor | Odds |
|---|---|
| Anthony Hopkins (The Father) | -3000 |
| Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods) | +1000 |
| Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) | +1800 |
| Gary Oldman (Mank) | +2000 |
| Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night In Miami) | +2000 |
Odds as of November 18 at Bovada
| Actress | Odds |
|---|---|
| Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) | +130 |
| Andra Day (The United States vs. Billie Holiday) | +500 |
| Frances McDormand (Nomadland) | +550 |
| Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman) | +700 |
| Amy Adams (Hillbilly Elegy) | +1000 |
| Kate Winslet (Ammonite) | +1000 |
| Michelle Pfeiffer (French Exit) | +1000 |
Odds as of November 18 at Bovada
Best Actor Odds
For the Best Actor award, Anthony Hopkins is the +160 favorite to win for his role in The Father. He plays an old man who refuses the assistance of his daughter as he struggles with dementia. Hopkins is a terrific actor, so it makes sense that he’s on the top of the list for now as the top choice.
However, I think the award should be given posthumously to Chadwick Boseman (+1800) for his role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Earlier this year we lost this incredible actor after he succumbed to colon cancer. The movie is expected to be released next week and the critics are already saying that Boseman and Viola Davis steal the film. This is the final film for the actor who brought Black Panther to the big screen.
I think the Academy will do right by him, just like they did with Heath Ledger back in 2009, and give him the award.
Best Actress Odds
For Best Actress, I am going to stick with Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom lead actress Viola Davis, the favorite to win the award at +130. She plays blues singer Ma Rainey during the 1920s. Davis is an exceptional actress who has been nominated for an Academy Award three times, winning once.
The other name on this board to watch for is Frances McDormand at +550. With Nomadland expected to get a ton of recognition at the Oscars, it’s fair to assume that the leading actress in the movie will be a big favorite to win.
Best Of The Rest:
| Actor | Odds |
|---|---|
| Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night In Miami) | +325 |
| Mark Rylance (The Trial of the Chicago 7) | +450 |
| Yahya Abdul Mateen II (The Trial of the Chicago 7) | +525 |
| Sacha Baron Cohen (The Trial of the Chicago 7) | +550 |
| Charles Dance (Mank) | +575 |
| David Strathairn (Nomadland) | +575 |
| Bill Murray (On The Rocks) | +700 |
Odds as of November 18 at Bovada
| Actress | Odds |
|---|---|
| Olivia Coleman (The Father) | -2500 |
| Amanda Seyfried (Mank) | +850 |
| Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy) | +1500 |
| Ellen Burstyn (Pieces of a Women) | +2000 |
| Yuh-Jung Youn (Minari) | +4000 |
| Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) | +4000 |
| Saoirse Ronan (Ammonite) | +4000 |
Odds as of November 18 at Bovada
| Film | Odds |
|---|---|
| The Trial of the Chicago 7 | +275 |
| Mank | +280 |
| Soul | +425 |
| Da 5 Bloods | +475 |
| Minari | +600 |
| On the Rocks | +750 |
Odds as of November 18 at Bovada
| Film | Odds |
|---|---|
| Nomadland | +260 |
| One Night In Miami | +325 |
| Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom | +375 |
| The Father | +375 |
| News of the World | +750 |
| Hillbilly Elegy | +900 |
Odds as of November 18 at Bovada
Comments
Oscars Betting FAQ
Can I bet on the Academy Awards?
Yes, you can make entertainment bets on the Academy Awards. You can wager on such things as which film will win Best Picture. You can bet on who will win Best Director. You can place bets on who will win Best Actor or Best Actress. You can ever bet on Best Original Screenplay, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
What's the difference between the Academy Awards and the Oscars?
Believe it or not, there is actually no difference between the Academy Awards and the Oscars. The Academy Awards and the Oscars are the same thing. The name for the gold trophy is merely nicknamed "Oscar", which is why the Academy Awards are sometimes referred to as the Oscars. The official name for an academy trophy is the Academy Award of Merit.
Who is the favorite to win Best Picture? win Best Picture?
Nomadland is the current betting favorite at +215 odds to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. The film is about a woman embarking on a journey through the American West after losing everything during the recession. Other notable films nominated for the award include “Mank” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7”.
