The 2023 Belmont Stakes is coming up Saturday, June 10 at Belmont Park! The deepest field of three-year-old dirt horses yet will go 1 ½ miles around the dirt course, longer than any of them have ever gone. The spoils are rich: a $1.5 million purse, an iconic blanket of carnations, and a place in […]
2021 Oscars Awards Betting Predictions
The Academy Awards return for its 93rd edition and believe it or not, the show outcomes are complete bettable — not unlike a normal sports game. The Hollywood award show is a perfect side wager during this “downtime” in gambling, and honestly, it’s rich with opportunities! See who we have winning what category right here!
Before we get into our 2021 Oscars betting predictions, let's do some housekeeping about the pinnacle night in the film industry:
- When are the Oscars? The show airs live on Sunday, April 25 at 8 pm EST.
- How can I watch the Oscars? ABC has exclusive broadcast rights to the event. It'll be shown on its traditional TV channel, as well as certain streaming packages (like Hulu+Live TV and YouTube TV).
- Will the Oscars be in-person or Zoom? Yes, an actual event will be held in Los Angeles with nominees expected to attend in person. However, there will be a Zoom option for invitees that can't make it (think international candidates that are restricted from traveling).
Now that we got that out of the way, let's jump into our Oscars betting picks. Every wager is more or less a moneyline bet akin to other sports like golf — pick an outright winner from the field of candidates, simple as that.
Best Picture Pick
Nominees were released for every single award back in mid-March. Most categories are limited to five candidates, but that's not the case with the night's top honor — best picture. Here are the award's current betting lines, per online bookmakers:
Movie | ![]() | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Nomadland | -410 | -450 |
Trial of the Chicago 7 | +500 | +600 |
Minari | +1150 | +1200 |
Promising Young Woman | +2500 | +1100 |
Mank | +5000 | +2200 |
Judas and The Black Messiah | +6500 | +2200 |
The Father | +6500 | +8000 |
Sound Of Metal | +8500 | +8000 |
We should preface this pick, and every other for that matter, that Oscar awards are highly subjective. Thousands of filmmakers and movie professionals vote on it. With such a huge voting pool, groupthink is all too common. Who wins what awards sometimes comes down to "narratives" or what people are talking about at the given moment. That will dictate our predictions, not our own personal opinions on certain movies and actors.
Nomadland won the best picture at the Golden Globes in late February and seemingly has all the buzz right now. In history, a total of 48 movies have won best movie at the Globes, then go on to win an Oscar for the same award. All signs point to the female-led Nomadland being lucky no. 49.
Betting pick to make: Nomadland (-410)
Best Actor Pick
Actor | ![]() | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Chadwick Boseman | -2200 | -3300 |
Anthony Hopkins | +1175 | +900 |
Riz Ahmed | +4200 | +2000 |
Gary Oldman | +7000 | +3300 |
Steven Yeun | +8000 | +3300 |
Boseman is taking this award — no ifs, ands, or buts about it. It's one of the safest bets of the night, hence the staggering odds in his direction.
Of course, Boseman tragically passed away last August at 43 years young. The award show has a long history of posthumous winners and c'mon, do you think voters will really want to go against a dead guy in this category? No way. Bet Boseman here if you want a lay-up win, albeit a low-paying one.
Betting pick to make: Chadwick Boseman (-2200)
Best Actress Pick
Actor | ![]() | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Carey Mulligan | +105 | +125 |
Viola Davis | +245 | +175 |
Andra Day | +485 | +500 |
Frances McDormand | +520 | +450 |
Vanessa Kirby | +1350 | +1200 |
At last, a category with true betting value rather than a runaway favorite. We could realistically see this award going to multiple candidates.
But after a year ripe with racial tension in the United States, we get the sense that diversity will be top of mind among voters this year. This category features two black women up for the honor in the same year — a feat that hadn't been achieved since 1973. And honestly, we think one of the two wins (if so, it would mark only the second time ever a black woman took the hardware).
Both are worthy winners who portrayed iconic singers in the roles that earned them the nomination. Day played Billie Holliday, while Davis played Ma Rainey. This race is as close as it gets, which is why we advise betting on BOTH of them. With plus-money odds, you're bound to come up profitable as long as one wins, which we wholeheartedly believe will be the case.
Betting pick to make: Viola Davis (+175) and Andra Day (+500)
Best Director Pick
Over/Under | ![]() |
---|---|
Under 6.5 Pick | -125 |
Over 6.5 Pick | -115 |
As we've already alluded to, the Oscars are narrative-driven and history matters big time. Welp, history has already been made here. For the first time in the award's 93-year existence, the Academy nominated two women for Best Director — betting favorite Chloe Zhao (Nomadland) and Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman).
But even then, Zhao's nomination means just a little more. Born in Beijing, she's the first Asian woman to earn a Best Director nominee. Again, with the recent hate against Asians in America, Zhao's winning feels like the perfect statement.
Betting pick to make: Chloe Zhao (-1400)
As a film director would say, "cut" because that's all the predictions we have today! We stuck to the four biggest awards since there's the most interest in these categories, but for a full list of 2021 Oscars odds, check out one of the sportsbooks below. You'll find lines for other honors like Best Animated Film or Best Original Score and everything in between.
But while you're at it, also check out which player promotions the listed bookmakers currently have. Doing so can net you money before the Oscars even start. These sites offer free play deals to both new players (sign-up bonus) and returning ones (reload bonus). The table underneath has details on existing sign-up deals, which are the most lucrative.
Category : News
More articles...Don’t write the Heat off just yet — they stole Game 2 in Denver to tie the series 1-1 and seize the home-court advantage. After that surprising outcome, how does Game 3 shake out? Bettors should read this because we have a complete NBA betting preview, plus three free picks for Game 3. We're confident […]
UFC 289 is fast approaching, and the fight card is rich in betting opportunities. After analyzing the night’s top fights, we’ve settled on making three different UFC 289 bets. We’re giving them to you in this article so keep reading to make money from UFC betting this weekend! What: UFC 289 When: Saturday, June 10 […]