2010 Oscars: Who Has the Best Odds to Win

This year's 82nd Academy Awards presentation of the Oscars is no different than last year's gala. This is the evening that will culminate in the revelation of the myriad of winners, everything from Best Picture to Best Makeup. Pundits in blogs, print, and television media all have prognosticated with vigor the likely winners.

Most fans of the motion picture genre watch with interest, however few actually place monetary wagers on who will win the Oscars. However, bookmakers and gambling houses worldwide enthusiastically accept wagers from the public. Bookies in Vegas and other legal gambling houses in the U. S. as well as overseas give odds on the Oscar nominees, as do the many online bookies, the use of which is legal in some jurisdictions. (Check your local laws.)

It is interesting to check the odds being given by the various betting establishments. For example, the odds (-110) for Avatar winning the Best Picture Oscar are slightly less than the odds of The Hurt Locker (-125). This means that if you bet on Avatar, a $110 bet would pay $100, while a $125 bet on The Hurt Locker would be needed to receive $100 in winnings. Thus, the bookie giving these odds feels that it is more likely that The Hurt Locker will win the Oscar. By the way, the worst odds for Best Picture are given for the film District 9, with a listed line of +10000. Yes, a $100 bet on District 9 to win Best Picture would yield, well, a hefty sum.

The race to win Best Picture is very interesting this year. Both films come into the evening with nine nominations each. Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker is in the Action/Drama division. Avatar, directed by Bigelow's ex-husband James Cameron is in the Animation 3D. This is also a competition between a low budget vs. a "blockbuster" high budget production. Add to this the fact that The Hurt Locker swept the Directors Guild Awards while Avatar won Best Film at the Golden Globes, and we have the makings of a close battle for the premier award of Oscars night.

Some of the other categories clearly have solid favorites, at least if you look at the odds given. Inglorious Basterds is a strong favorite for Best Original Screenplay, with listed odds of -250. The next closest odds are for The Hurt Locker (+175). Jeff Bridges, starring in Crazy Heart, is a huge favorite to win Best Actor at -1100. The next closest odds for Best Actor is a tie between George Clooney (Up in the Air) and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), both with listed odds of +1200.

Enjoy the 82^nd Academy Awards show. Tomorrow the analysis begins in earnest. However, check the odds this evening. It just might give you a clue as to who the winners may be.