Opening Odds for the 2020 Emmy Awards After Nominations Announced
By JJ De La Torre in Entertainment
Updated: March 19, 2021 at 9:56 am EDTPublished:
- Emmy nominations were virtually announced on July 28, 2020 by Leslie Jones, Laverne Cox, Josh Gad, and Tatiana Maslany
- Leading the nominations this year is Watchmen with eleven nods, followed by Succession with ten and Ozark with nine
- See the odds for the entire field of awards within the story below
This year’s Primetime Emmy Awards are going to be a little different. It’s the first event scheduled for the upcoming awards season. Naturally, the lingering effects of COVID-19 are likely to impact the ceremony.
While host Jimmy Kimmel and ABC producers have been busy securing both in-person and virtual venue possibilities, the nominees were announced this week.
Nominees this year lean more toward fan favorite shows from previous years such as Schitt’s Creek, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Ozark. Newcomers such as Apple TV+’sThe Morning Show pop up in select categories, but it’s the tenured shows to watch for this year.
2020 Outstanding Comedy Series Odds
| Nominee | Odds |
|---|---|
| Schitt’s Creek | -125 |
| The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel | +125 |
| Curb Your Enthusiasm | +800 |
| The Good Place | +1000 |
| Dead to Me | +1200 |
| The Kominsky Method | +1600 |
| Insecure | +2500 |
| What We Do in the Shadows | +4000 |
All Odds taken July 29
You can’t deny the power of the Levy-produced powerhouse Schitt’s Creek. The Pop TV original really found its footing this year in its sixth and final season. It was nominated for the first time last year and lost to Fleabag.
With the latter out of the picture this year, Schitt’s is slated to win. Schitt’s Creek has the best odds and seems on track to win.
Pick: Schitt’s Creek (-125)
2020 Outstanding Drama Series Odds
| Nominee | Odds |
|---|---|
| Succession | -150 |
| Ozark | +200 |
| The Crown | +400 |
| Better Call Saul | +800 |
| The Handmaid’s Tale | +1600 |
| Stranger Things | +2500 |
| Killing Eve | +3300 |
| The Mandalorian | +3300 |
Last year, Succession was one of the top contenders but lost to the final season of Game of Thrones. With Thrones now wrapped, Succession is poised to take the trophy.
The HBO black comedy is now in its second season. Fans and critics alike agree that Succession only got better in its sophomore production. It only makes sense to see the odds in the show’s favor and probable for Succession to be the winner.
Pick:Â Succession (-150)
2020 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Odds
| Nominee | Odds |
|---|---|
| Eugene Levy (Schitt’s Creek) | -500 |
| Ted Danson (The Good Place) | +300 |
| Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method) | +800 |
| Don Cheadle (Black Monday) | +1200 |
| Anthony Anderson (Black-ish) | +1400 |
| Ramy Youssef (Ramy) | +1400 |
While Schitt’s is beloved, lead character Johnny Rose isn’t exactly the most titillating role. This would make Eugene Levy’s great odds seem a little off upon first glance.
Looking at the rest of the nominees, though, and it makes sense for Levy to win. The category is filled with characters even less charming and less memorable.
Pick: Eugene Levy (Schitt’s Creek) (-500)
Watch the announcement of Nominations for the 72nd Emmy Awards! https://t.co/KzpXUHSwn0
— Television Academy (@TelevisionAcad) July 28, 2020
2020 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Odds
| Nominee | Odds |
|---|---|
| Brian Cox (Succession) | -250 |
| Jason Bateman (Ozark) | +150 |
| Jeremy Strong (Succession) | +1000 |
| Billy Porter (Pose) | +1200 |
| Sterling K. Brown (This is Us) | +1400 |
| Steve Carell (The Morning Show) | +2000 |
Jason Bateman has been the runner-up for several years for Lead Actor in a Drama Series. His work on Ozark has earned him the silver spot two years in a row and it’s probably going to happen again.
While Bateman is great in Ozark, Brian Cox’s role on Succession feels more current and fresh. Cox shines bright in the HBO sleeper hit, and having the best odds in this category make sense.
Pick: Brian Cox (Succession) (-250)
2020 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Odds
| Nominee | Odds |
|---|---|
| Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek) | -350 |
| Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) | +250 |
| Christina Applegate (Dead to Me) | +500 |
| Issa Rae (Insecure) | +1000 |
| Linda Cardellini (Dead to Me) | +1600 |
| Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish) | +3300 |
Catherine O’Hara is a no brainer to win. Her role as Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek has single-handedly made the show a contemporary classic. O’Hara’s Moira is brilliant, filled with priceless dialogue, on-point voice work, and a surprising amount of character development.
While Rachael Brosnahan also scores big points for her work on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, she already won for this role in 2018. With Schitt’s officially closing the curtain with this final season, O’Hara is much more suited to win.
Pick: Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek) – (-350)
2020 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Odds
| Nominee | Odds |
|---|---|
| Laura Linney (Ozark) | -1000 |
| Olivia Colman (The Crown) | +800 |
| Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show) | +800 |
| Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) | +1400 |
| Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) | +1400 |
| Zendaya (Euphoria) | +3300 |
Wow. Judging by the odds, nobody even comes close to touching Laura Linney’s role in Ozark. While Olivia Colman is also a fan favorite in The Crown, you can’t compare to the stunning character work Linney brings to the table.
https://twitter.com/margotfiIms/status/1288088933285400578
Last year, audiences were surprised when Linney lost to Killing Eve‘s Jodie Comer. Chances are the Emmy voters will give Linney her honors this year.
Pick: Laura Linney (Ozark) (-1000)
2020 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Odds
| Nominee | Odds |
|---|---|
| Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) | -600 |
| Daniel Levy (Schitt’s Creek) | +400 |
| Alan Arkin (The Kominsky Method) | +700 |
| Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live) | +1400 |
| Sterling K. Brown (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) | +1600 |
| Mahershala Ali (Ramy) | +2500 |
| Andre Braughter (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) | +3300 |
| William Jackson Harper (The Good Place) | +3300 |
While Tony Shalhoub really does make a scene great in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, he already won this award last year. And although it doesn’t go against voting rules or tradition to shun someone twice for the same performance, let’s take a moment to talk about the greatness that is Daniel Levy.
Levy, also a producer and writer on Schitt’s Creek, truly delivered in his role as David Rose. The last couple of seasons saw immense growth in Levy’s portrayal of the character. While Shalhoub’s odds seem better this early in the race, you can bet things will change more in Levy’s favor closer to the awards.
Pick: Daniel Levy (Schitt’s Creek) (+400)
2020 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Odds
| Nominee | Odds |
|---|---|
| Billy Crudup (The Morning Show) | +125 |
| Kieran Culkin (Succession) | +125 |
| Bradley Whitford (The Handmaid’s Tale) | +300 |
| Matthew Macfadyen (Succession) | +900 |
| Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul) | +1200 |
| Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) | +3300 |
| Mark Duplass (The Morning Show) | +3300 |
| Nicolas Braun (Succession) | +3300 |
From child star to teen actor, Kieran Culkin has been a Hollywood talent his whole life. It should be no surprise that he truly delivers in Succession. While his odds are on par with Billy Crudup in The Morning Show, it’s Culkin who deserves the honors more.
Pick: Kieran Culkin (Succession) (+125)
2020 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Odds
| Nominee | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) | -700 |
| Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live) | +500 |
| Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek) | +800 |
| Marin Hinkle (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) | +1200 |
| Betty Gilpin (Glow) | +2000 |
| D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place) | +2000 |
| Yvonne Orji (Insecure) | +2500 |
| Cecily Strong (Saturday Night Live) | +3300 |
Can Alex Borsein really win three years in a row? Sure. But Kate McKinnon deserves the award a lot more. While Borstein is clever and fun on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, McKinnon has brought nearly a decade of laughs to television audiences for her work on Saturday Night Live.
That said, SNL performers are rarely appreciated by Emmy voters, sadly. Borstein’s odds make sense aligning with actual voter taste even if they’re not the most deserved.
Pick: Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) – (-700)
2020 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Odds
| Nominee | Odds |
|---|---|
| Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown) | -600 |
| Julia Garner (Ozark) | +400 |
| Laura Dern (Big Little Lies) | +800 |
| Meryl Streep (Big Little Lies) | +1000 |
| Sarah Snook (Succession) | +1200 |
| Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale) | +3300 |
| Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve) | +4000 |
| Thandie Newton (Westworld) | +4000 |
You don’t have to watch The Crown to know Helena Bonham Carter is the talk of the town with this performance. Her role has been talked about nonstop since she joined the series. She’s beloved and she’s going to win for this role.
Pick: Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown) – (-600)
Entertainment Writer
As an active entertainment aficionado, the former Editor-in-Chief for the Capilano Courier, JJ also co-founded Lords of Dogwood, a Vancouver-based entertainment site in 2013. His writing has been found in ION Magazine, the North Shore News, and The Strand.
