Betting the Oscars is an exercise in due diligence and knowing where to turn to for the best in entertainment odds is key. Entertainment betting may be void of number crunching that comes with sports betting, but it nevertheless requires due diligence. Staying abreast of up-to-date news and narratives and understanding historical trends will help pop culture enthusiasts to better handicap their entertainment picks. Of which the Oscars represents the most high-profile betting event in a calendar year.
So, let’s get down to it and begin with the nitty-gritty: Oscar betting tips. After which, we’ll cover the latest developments on the 2021 Oscar trail and where bettors can bet the Oscars.
It used to be that only a few sportsbooks would carry the lines for the Oscars, and they’d only offer up odds on the main awards. Nowadays, lines on the Oscars are readily available everywhere as betting on the awards show has grown in popularity. Understanding the Oscars’ Betting Lines. When you’re betting on the Oscars, it’s important. Oscars: Top 15 Contenders for Best International Feature Film Carlos Aguilar February 8, 2021 On Tuesday, February 9, the Academy will release shortlists for multiple categories, including Best International Feature Film. Odds as of February 12 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 +2000 give her a good chance to win.
Understanding the inner machinations of the Oscars – how the voting works – will help bettors to make informed entertainment picks and better predict how the coveted golden man is handed out.
By the latest count, the Oscars has 8,469 members that are divided into 17 branches. Each branch nominates for its own category – e.g., actors nominate actors in the four categories, directors nominate directors…etc. Everyone gets to nominate best picture and for the final vote all branches vote on every award.
The merits of nominating and voting peers within an industry underscores the Oscars’ voting system. In exclusivity, there is knowledge and familiarity that makes sense. However, like many similar such systems trapped in exclusivity, an inherent flaw of subjectivity exists. Bias. Personal preference, lack of objectivity…so on. Therefore, it’s fair to assume, voting likely is skewed by how well-liked and well respected (or not) an actor or director is; how polarising a film subject is.
When handicapping best actor award or best supporting actor or best director, one should keep in mind these factors that might well influence a decision.
The road to the Oscars is littered with other awards ceremonies, including the Golden Globes and BAFTAs. A good indicator for bettors looking to place wagers on the Oscars is the performance of contenders in the preceding events. It’s not unusual to see an actor pick up momentum with each passing red carpet event to improve their odds to win the Oscars or flat out emerge as a top favourite in Oscar betting markets.
Oscar betting trends point to celebration of historical and contemporary issues. Giving the nod to actors in roles that explore social issue, challenge accepted norms or depict leading historical figures. Similarly, films that tick the right boxes with timely subjects that matter (be they fictional or true stories) or films that reprise watershed historical events typically do well.
More often than not, the more well known an actor is the better the chance of said actor or film featuring said actor has of winning. Of course, this doesn’t mean there aren’t surprises at the Oscars… Andy Brody, Cuba Gooding Jr., Brenda Fricker are just a few names of Oscar winners that have fallen off the radar. Predicting such upsets in Oscar betting though is no mean trick.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science (AMPAS) went to press a few weeks ago with its decision to delay the 2021 Oscars, pushing back the star-studded ceremony from February 28 to April 25 in an abundance of caution due to the ongoing public health crisis. The news ended weeks upon weeks of speculation that go back to mid-May when the first wind of a possible delay to the 93rd Annual Academy Awards made the rounds of Hollywood insiders.
In line with the Oscar changes, the calendar of award ceremonies has adjusted in kind. For instance, Golden Globes were pushed back to 28 February and the BAFTAs were pushed back from 14 February to 11 April.
To accommodate the Oscars’ new date, AMPAS extended the window of eligibility from December 31 to February 28 – meaning films released between January 1st, 2020 and February 28th, 2021 will be eligible.
Moreover, bearing in mind the challenges presented during this unprecedented time, qualification rules were relaxed as well to include otherwise-qualified movies that were forced to skip cinema release dates during lockdown and turn to streaming services instead.
What isn’t as yet known – perhaps, the most important titbit – is how the Oscars will be presented. Will it be a virtual affair? Zoom Oscars? Or will it go ahead with traditional pomp and ceremony? It’s impossible to know for certain and, equally, hard to imagine a return to normalcy, as yet.
Many of the best sportsbooks serve up Oscar odds for bettors to sink their teeth into, including Bovada (visit our Bovada Review).
Odds on the Oscars normally are found in a dedicated section for entertainment betting. Over and above odds on the Oscars, Bovada usually will serve up a slew of fun prop specials to with most entertainment betting events. There’s something for everyone, as the saying goes.