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Nomadland Favored to Win Best Picture in 2021 Oscars Odds

JJ De La Torre

by JJ De La Torre in Entertainment

Updated Apr 25, 2021 · 8:14 AM PDT

Oscars Best Picture & Best Original Screenplay odds - Nomadland
Frances McDormand attends the Telluride from Los Angeles drive-in screening of "Nomadland" on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
  • This year’s Oscars–the 93rd annual– will be given out in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 25th, 2021
  • All five Best Original Screenplay nominees are also up for Best Picture, but different films are favored in both categories
  • Ahead of this Sunday’s awards, check out the odds and best bets below for both categories

This weekend, Hollywood’s elite will gather for the 93rd Academy Awards. The trophies will be given out on Sunday, April 25th, 2021 at both the Dolby Theater and Union Station in Los Angeles. Naturally, for anyone who doesn’t happen to be in Hollywood, you can check out the action on ABC.

Five films are nominated for the coveted Best Original Screenplay trophy this year, ranging from the semi-autobiographical immigrant story Minari to the stark health study Sound of Metal . The favorite, though, is the graphic Me Too-era feminist drama Promising Young Woman.

The biggest prize of all, however, is Best Picture. This year, eight total films are nominated for the award– including all five Best Original Screenplay Nominees. The favorite for Best Picture is Nomadland, the Americana-dipped indie drama starring Frances McDormand.

Okay, go grab your popcorn and silence your phone. Let’s check out the full list of nominees for both categories and see which ones are actually viable contenders.

Odds to Win Best Picture 2021 Oscars

Film Odds at DraftKings
Nomadland -670
The Trial of the Chicago 7 +600
Minari +1400
Promising Young Woman +1700
Judas & the Black Messiah +3300
Mank +3300
Sound of Metal +5000
The Father +10000

All odds as of April 21st

Nomadland Looking Good in Best Picture Odds

The early Best Picture best bets were Minari and The Trial of the Chicago 7, according to the 93rd Academy Awards odds. But things changed in early February.

Over the past few months, Nomadland has been sitting pretty with the best odds to actually take home Best Picture. The odds changed even before the Golden Globes awarded Nomadland in its Best Drama Motion Picture category.

But the past month especially has shown great gains for the film. Already in the lead, Nomadland‘s odds have only shortened (from -475 to -710), while its closest competitor The Trial of the Chicago 7 has lengthened (from +625 to +700).

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In a year that’s been stressful and chaotic, Nomadland is an appealing film. It’s quiet and introspective– the opposite of other Best Picture contenders. People want something artful and something that makes them feel things deeply. Nomadland is going to be a hit with the voters this year.

Pick: Nomadland (-670)

Odds to Win Best Original Screenplay 2021 Oscars

Film Odds
Promising Young Woman -455
The Trial of the Chicago 7 +275
Minari +1400
Judas & the Black Messiah +3300
Sound of Metal +3300

Promising Screenplay

How do you make a great film? Tell a great story. The best movies have interesting narratives. And that’s all in the script, after all.

The nominees for Best Original Screenplay are some of the year’s most intriguing and talked about films. Sound of Metal picked up a lot of press thanks to its unique subject matter. The Trial of the Chicago 7 took an already familiar real-life court case to the silver screen.

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But of the batch nominated for Best Original Screenplay, Promising Young Woman sticks out for a reason. Not only does it tackle the poignant and relevant themes of womanhood, social justice, and accountability, it’s also a really well-written movie.

To have a film that deals with such complex topics while also creating such layered characters doing interesting things? That’s a home run. And while Carey Mulligan’s performance was half the reason to see the film in the first place, the other half was the amazing script she had to work with.

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The race in the Best Original Screenplay odds has seen all five nominees sitting in the same places all season. Watch for this award to be presented just as the odds predict at The Oscars.

Pick: Promising Young Woman (-455)

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