We all know the 2009 Oscar predictions that include the likes of Heath Ledger to win Best Supporting Actor, Slumdog Millionaire to win Best Film, and Danny Boyle to win Best Director. These are all huge favorites that require 10 times or more the amount wagered that is likely to be won. Some online sportsbooks like Sportsinteraction.com are not even offering odds on Heath Ledger considering he is such a "lock" to win.
All right, so anyone can make these Oscar predictions.
How about some potential big payout predictions?
One needs to look no further than the Best Supporting Actress category to find value.
While Penelope Cruz is listed as the -143 favorite, paying nearly even odds, Sukhdev Sandhu of The London Telegraph doesn't think Cruz will win or should win.
Instead he's going with Taraji P. Henson as the nominee most likely to win.
"A sop to one of the few non-mediocre performances in David Fincher's tasteful snooze-athon," Sandhu says, making reference to Henson's performance in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Henson would pay out $1200 for every $100 bet or $120 for every $10 bet at Sportsinteraction.com.
Who should win if Sandhu had to pick?
"Viola Davis - Short on actual screen time, but her heart-stoppingly powerful exchange with Meryl Streep is Doubt's only high point."
Davis would offer a payout of $400 on every $100 bet or $40 on every $10 bet.
Some say Kate Winslet is a safe bet with relatively short odds. She's the -250 favorite at SBG Global, requiring only a $25 bet to win $10. You won't find odds that are much better than this. Should she win, the $25 bet and $10 profit are paid out to those betting on Winslet. You would have to bet $125 to win $100, which might be a worthwhile option. She' been nominated 5 times before and hers appears to be the best performance in this category.
"Expect tears to flow when Kate Winslet nabs the top actress honour for her turn in The Reader. A victory for Kate would be her first at the sixth time of asking and spare her from nearing Peter O'Toole's scandalous eight Oscar snubs," writes Simon Reynolds of DigitalSpy.com.
Oh, and you can bet on Kate Winslet crying at the Oscars. The payout is $125 for every $100 bet at Sportsinteraction.com. We think that might have some value.
The toughest call appears to be Best Actor where Mickey Rourke sits as the small favorite but Sean Penn turned in a performance that is also receiving rave reviews. Rourke's story, his comeback, provide that extra edge and we here at Gambling911.com are going out on a limb to say place that $25 bet on Rourke to win $10 (and of course get back your initial $25 should he win). Hopefully these 2009 Oscar predictions come through. The Best Supporting Actress category appears to have the potential for a juicy payout for online gamblers. Any upset among the other categories will really pay out well.
Gambling911.com is covering the Oscar betting around the clock. The Academy Awards is the 3rd most bet on single day event of the year.
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
