It’s awards season in the entertainment industry, and the crown jewel event, the 95th Academy Awards, is coming March 12 to honor the best in film and movies over the past year.
The anticipation always boils over when each envelope is opened and we find out the winner, but it builds slowly, with weeks of guessing at winners and lobbying for your favorites to come. If you really feel strongly, you can even bet on the Academy Awards. They’re offered by several major sportsbooks — that includes FanDuel Sportsbook.
“Everything Everywhere All At Once,” an adventure film about a Chinese immigrant who must connect with parallel-universe versions of herself, received 11 nominations and is the favorite to win Best Picture. FanDuel lists those odds at -260, meaning you’d profit $10 for every $26 you wager.
In betting odds, heavier favorites have higher negative numbers. A positive number represents an implied probability of less than 50%, with higher numbers meaning longer odds (for example, +2000 means 20-to-1 odds). The -250 odds give “Everything” an implied probability of 71.4% to be the Best Picture winner.
The only other film with an implied chance of better than 20% to win is “The Banshees of Inisherin,” a tragicomedy set in Ireland. Its Best Picture odds are set at +470, meaning you’d profit $47 for every $10 bet.
After that, odds become dramatically longer: “Top Gun: Maverick” is +850, “The Fabelmans” is +1100, “Elvis” is +2300 and no other movie has better than 35-to-1 odds.
All of the other major Oscar categories have odds-on (better than 50% implied probability) favorites, though none as heavy as “Everything” is for Best Picture.
Brendan Fraser is a -160 favorite (profit $10 for every $16 wagered) in the Best Actor market for his performance in “The Whale” as a reclusive teacher who fights obesity. The other top contenders, according to the odds, are Colin Farrell (“Banshees”) at +240 and Austin Butler, who is +300 for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in “Elvis.”
For Best Actress, Cate Blanchett is a slightly heavier favorite, checking in at -150 for her role as Lydia Tár, an orchestra conductor accused of sexual abuse in the movie “Tár.” If the odds are correct, her main competition is Michell Yeoh for the lead in “Everything” at +110.
The duo of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, also known as The Daniels, are the favorite for Best Director, also for “Everything.” Their odds at FanDuel are -170, slight favorites over two-time winner Steven Spielberg (+130 for “The Fabelmans”). Martin McDonagh is a distant third at 11-to-1 for “Banshees.”
ODDS FOR MAJOR ACADEMY AWARDS
(From FanDuel Sportsbook as of Tuesday, Feb. 14)
Best picture
Everything Everywhere All at Once, -260
The Banshees of Inisherin, +470
Top Gun: Maverick, +850
The Fabelmans, +1100
Elvis, +2300
Avatar: The Way of Water, +3500
All Quiet on the Western Front, +3500
Tár, +4100
Triangle of Sadness, +5000
Women Talking, +8000
Best Director
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All at Once), -170
Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans), +130
Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin), +1100
Todd Field (Tár), +1600
Ruben Ostlund (Triangle of Sadness), +2800
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett (Tár), -150
Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once), +110
Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans), +1800
Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie), +2000
Ana De Armas (Blonde), +2200
Best Actor
Brendan Fraser (The Whale), -160
Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin), +240
Austin Butler (Elvis), +300
Bill Nighy (Living), +2300
Paul Mescal (Aftersun), +3500
OTHER FAVORITES
Best Supporting Actor: Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once), -750
Best Supporting Actress: Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), -470
