2020 was a year like no other in the Hollywood film industry. COVID-19 caused for the unprecedented closure of nearly every institution operating inside of the United States that included indoor common areas.
These closures crippled the movie theater industry as a whole, and the effects were felt worldwide.
Movies with budgets in excess of $100 million were either shelved for a future release or unceremoniously dumped onto a video streaming platform in order to recoup some production costs before these major studios lost their shirt.
It is a year that redefined cinema and the parameters of a theatrical release, and also revealed that the industry is resilient enough to change its operating procedures on the fly and still survive.
USA entertainment sportsbook sites are now offering betting odds on this Sunday’s 93rd Academy Awards, and many of the categories feature betting favorites that appear to be near certain winners.
Heavy favorites are common at awards shows for movies, television, and the music industry, and that can impact the action taken in at online sports betting sites in the USA because entertainment gamblers are forced to risk much less than the amount that they can potentially win.
For instance, Nomadland is favored to win Best Picture and Best Director, and the money line odds between in at second place are separated by such a wide margin that placing a bet on any other option will be highly profitable.
As an example, a bet placed on David Fincher to win Best Director for his work on the film Mank will award gamblers 10X the amount that they risked, and he is the second most likely option to capture the Oscar.
The most competitive line we’ve seen on the 93rd Academy Awards are the odds offered for Best Actress.
93rd Academy Awards – Best Actress
- Carey Mulligan +130
- Viola Davis +150
- Frances McDormand +350
- Andra Day +550
- Vanessa Kirby +1600
Carey Mulligan is a slight favorite to win the Best Actress Oscar in 2021, but she is only 20 points ahead of former Academy Award winner Viola Davis.
Frances McDormand is the third leading option in the betting odds to win Best Actress, and her +350 money line will have entertainment gamblers salivating over the potential for Nomadland to sweep the Oscars and capture all the major awards that the film is nominated for.
Another betting line that features tight odds is the one posted for Best Original Song.
93rd Academy Awards – Best Original Song
- Speak Now – One Night in Miami -200
- lo Si – The Life Ahead +250
- Husavik – The Story of Fire Saga +375
- Fight For You – Judas and the Black Messiah +1200
- Hear My Voice – The Trial of the Chicago 7 +2500
Leslie Odom, Jr. is expected win the Oscar for Best Original Song used in a movie, and he is separated by 450 money line points from his closest competition. Any of the top three options listed have a reasonable chance of victory.
One important item to remember when betting on the 2021 Oscars is that mobile sportsbook apps allow for Academy Awards wagers to be placed from just about anywhere in the United States that has a solid connection to the web – including an Oscar watch party!
Academy Awards Betting Odds – MyBookie
Source – The New Yorker