How to win money betting on the Oscars

Oscars / Eliot Pollak / 24 February 2012 /

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Who will be taking home one of these on Sunday night?

"Only once in the last ten years has the Best Actor starred in the Best Picture. With The Artist looking like the winner of the latter, it might be worth having a flutter on the second favourite George Clooney [2.42]... "

Betting.Betfair's man for all things showbiz Eliot Pollack explains how you can profit by staying up on Sunday to night to bet on the Oscars...

In a week that saw Education Secretary Michael Gove come under heavy fire for threatening to make exams a bit harder, it is comforting to know that some achievements still carry a bit of weight. Welcome to the Oscars, the most glamorous and important evening in the world of showbiz.

One Direction may have devalued the entire currency of awards by winning a Brit last week, but these little gold beauties still matter. Lots of glamorous people will be there. Sacha Baron Cohen won't be there. You won't be there either but allow us to steer you through the best bets for the Big Three awards of the night....

Best Picture

It should be the Oscars of The Artist. As a homage to old Hollywood, the luvvies will love it.
Of the others, only The Help feels like an Academy type movie. Focusing on Civil Rights does add some extra weight to its challenge, especially with Hollywood's traditions of being a bit racist. Giving the film Best Picture could be a nice way of saying sorry.

Yet if the director isn't up for Best Director, the movie never wins Best Picture. Bad news for The Help, so although you won't get too much bang for your buck at [1.08], it is virtually free money.

Leading Actor

Only once in the last ten years has the Best Actor starred in the Best Picture - that was Colin Firth in The King's Speech last year. With The Artist looking like the winner of the latter, it might be worth having a flutter on the second favourite George Clooney [2.42] in this category.
The Artist might also be too light for a category that favours heavier roles. In fact, you have to go back to 1997 and Jack Nicholson winning for As Good As It Gets to see a comedic role triumph.

Leading Actress

Viola Davis is the current favourite, but recent history would suggest it may well be Meryl Streep [2.54] for her role as Maggie Thatcher or Michelle Williams [30.0] as Marilyn Monroe. The Academy does love a good impersonation, as proven by recent wins for Marion Cotillard playing Edith Piaf (2007), Helen Mirren playing The Queen (2006) and Reese Witherspoon playing June Carter (2005). In fact, six of the last ten Leading Actress winners have been portraying real women.

If you like a huge outside bet , and want to have a stab at one for the Oscars, it comes in this category. Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs played a woman pretending to be a gent. The Academy has previous with this type of caper - Hilary Swank pulled a similar stunt in 1999 in Boys Don't Cry, and she won the Oscar. Close is currently priced at a life-changing [120.00].

So there you have it - ways of cashing in on one of the more 'We're not really in this together' nights of the year. Get in the popcorn, have a kip on Sunday afternoon, and tune in to Sky Movies Premiere to enjoy the nonsense.

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