Ellen Delaney
February 6, 2010

2010 Oscar Odds: Betting on Longshots

The Oscar countdown has just began – and oddsmakers are trying desperately to predict whether Avatar or The Hurt Locker will sweep the show. However, at Sports Interaction, you could make some serious cash by betting on the longshot because as history dictates, every Academy Awards has its upsets.

As Mine that Bird crossed the finish line at the 2009 Kentucky Derby, we were all reminded (as we cursed under our breath) that betting on the longshot can generate big money. With an unprecedented ten nominees for Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards, the big budget juggernaut that is Avatar isn’t necessarily where you should be placing your bets. District 9 was the sleeper hit that had both critics and audiences singing its praises. Rarely does a gritty sci-fi flick get an Oscar nod, but with just a $10 bet with Sports Interaction, this action-packed movie will generate you a huge $670 payout if it wins Best Picture. With Avatar earning $2 billion and Cameron already having three Oscars, the Academy may be willing to upset the favorite to give an underdog a little love.

For Best Actor, Colin Firth may also upset Jeff Bridges with the Best Actor win and at 16/1 if you put $10, you’ll see a $170 payout. Firth’s portrayal of a gay literature professor who loses his will to live in A Single Man is nothing short of masterful. Another good value Best Actor longshot is The Hurt Locker’s Jeremy Renner, who pays out $210 on a $10 bet.

The favorite for Best Actress is none other than the sassy Sandra Bullock at 3/5, who, in the same week the she earned an Oscar nomination for her work in The Blind Side, also earned a Razzie nomination for Worst Actress in All About Steve. Following Bullock is Meryl Streep for her portrayl of Julia Childs in Julie and Julia at 7/4, followed by Carey Mulligan 11/2 (An Education) and Gabourey Sidibe 10/1 (Precious) – but if you really want to go for the longshot, Helen Mirren has 40/1 odds for her role as Sofya Tolstoy, wife of Russian author Leo Tolstoy played by Christopher Plummer in The Last Station. Incidentally, Plummer is also a Best Supporting Actor longshot at 33/1.

Oscar buzz dictates that it’s pretty much a lock that Kathryn Bigelow will get Best Director for The Hurt Locker but if you are serious about betting on the underdog, then putting some money on Lee Daniels for his work on Precious is the way to go with 40/1 odds. Precious has earned six nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Gabourey Sidibe), Best Supporting Actress (Mo’Nique), Best Adapted Screenplay (Geoffrey Fletcher), and Best Film Editing (Joe Klotz). With an endorsement from Oprah, Daniels may just have a shot at winning Best Director and if you put even a little money on him, you could find yourself with a mega payout.

While some may stick to the favorites for a good chance at some modest cash, others might find a lucrative opportunity in spreading some money across several of the underdogs because with odds like 40-1, it only takes one upset to find yourself laughing all the way to the bank. So check out the complete Acadamy Award betting lines and enjoy an evening of watching the Oscars with a new level of excitement.