Updated Oscars Odds After Nominations Announced: Joker Leads With 11
- Joker led the way with 11 as the 2020 Oscars nominations were announced monday
- Books list Joker star Joaquin Phoenix as the overwhelming -1000 odds-on favorite to win best actor
- Renee Zellweger (Judy) is the -700 chalk among the nominations for best actress
Some might suggest that the 2020 Oscars nominations are nothing but a joke and this year, they’d be close to being correct. The Oscars are in fact, all about the Joker.
Joker garnered a leading 11 nods as the nominations were unveiled Monday.
Among the nominations earned by Joker are best picture, best director (Todd Phillips) and best actor (Joaquin Phoenix).
The Oscars will be presented Feb. 9th, and the nominees – with the best bets in the Oscars odds to win in each category – are …
2020 Oscars Best Picture Odds
| Film | Odds |
|---|---|
| Once Upon A Time In Hollywood | +125 |
| 1917 | +250 |
| Parasite | +300 |
| Joker | +800 |
| The Irishman | +1000 |
| Marriage Story | +2500 |
| Jojo Rabbit | +3300 |
| Little Women | +4000 |
| Ford v Ferrrari | +10000 |
All odds taken Jan. 13.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood carries the star power of director Quentin Tarantino and actors Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, all of them Oscar winners. But a Tarantino film has never won at the Oscars for best picture.
Much like Joker and The Irishman, if you’re into superhero, gangster or Tarantino films, you’ll enjoy these flicks. But it’s not like any of them are groundbreaking.
The Korean film Parasite is an intriguing longshot but the Academy will more likely give it the foreign film nod.
The winner here looks like 1917. The Sam Mendes-directed epic depicts the horrors of World War 1. With America perhaps on the brink of war – really, when isn’t America on the brink of war? – this film figures to resonate with liberal-leaning Hollywood.
Pick: 1917 (+250).
2020 Oscars Best Supporting Actor Odds
| Actor | Odds |
|---|---|
| Brad Pitt (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) | -800 |
| Joe Pesci (The Irishman) | +1400 |
| Al Pacino (The Irishman) | +1400 |
| Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) | +1400 |
| Anthony Hopkins (The Two Popes) | +2000 |
Talk about an all-star cast. This list read’s like a who’s-who of Hollywood legends.
Pesci and Pacino figure to cancel each other out, and really, who doesn’t think Pesci did his best work in the Home Alone films?
Hanks and Hopkins are heavy hitters when it comes to the Oscars but Pitt is due for a big win. His time has arrived.
Pick: Brad Pitt (-800).
2020 Oscars Best Supporting Actress Odds
| Actress | Odds |
|---|---|
| Laura Dern (Marriage Story) | -600 |
| Margot Robbie (Bombshell) | +600 |
| Florence Pugh (Little Women) | +1000 |
| Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit) | +1400 |
| Kathy Bates (Richard Jewell) | +2500 |
Johansson is looking to turn the rare best actress/best supporting actress double. Although Kathy Bates is the only Oscar winner in this group, Johansson will face her stiffest competition in this category from Dern, her co-star in Marriage Story.
It’s The Marriage Story #CriticsChoice table, with Noah Baumbach, Adam Driver, Netflix Content chief Ted Sarandos and Supporting Actress winner Laura Dern. pic.twitter.com/7KMezOHeJ8
— Anne Thompson (@akstanwyck) January 13, 2020
Dern won the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award in this category and will go for a clean sweep.
Pick: Laura Dern (-600).
2020 Oscars Best Director Odds
| Director | Odds |
|---|---|
| Sam Mendes (1917) | -125 |
| Bong Joon Ho (Parasite) | +225 |
| Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) | +500 |
| Martin Scorsese (The Irishman) | +600 |
| Todd Phillips (Joker) | +2500 |
Once again, the best director category is a male-dominated environment. Greta Gerwig was snubbed for her work on Little Women.
Scorsese will be the sentimental favorite, and there will be a lot of hype for Mendes and Bong Joon Ho. But just like Pitt, it’s Tarantino’s time.
What are Greta Gerwig and Quentin Tarantino talking about backstage at #CriticsChoice? A future collaboration? pic.twitter.com/ggGvn2qIHH
— Critics Choice Awards (@CriticsChoice) January 13, 2020
Unlike many of his films, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was also a critical success. Tarantino quickly cut ties with Hollywood sexual predator Harvey Weinstein’s film company, which figures to play well with the always politically correct Academy.
Pick: Quentin Tarantino (+500).
2020 Oscars Best Actor Odds
| Actor | Odds |
|---|---|
| Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) | -1000 |
| Adam Driver (Marriage Story) | +500 |
| Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) | +1600 |
| Antonio Banderas (Pain And Glory) | +2500 |
| Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes) | +3300 |
A lot of critics felt Phoenix would win at the 2006 Oscars for his portrayal of actual character – Johnny Cash in Walk The Line – and he’s heavily-favored to win this time for his portrayal of a comic book character.
This is his fourth nomination and there’s no doubt that Phoenix took the role much beyond what generally is expected from a superhero flick. But is the stuck up Academy truly ready to recognize the superhero genre for something other than costumes and special effects?
Driver’s turn in Marriage Story was emphatically compelling. He’s the hottest name in Hollywood at the moment. Every director wants to cast him in their film.
Take the price and go with Driver.
Pick: Adam Driver (+500).
2020 Oscars Best Actress Odds
| Actress | Odds |
|---|---|
| Renee Zellweger (Judy) | -700 |
| Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story) | +600 |
| Charlize Theron (Bombshell) | +1400 |
| Cynthia Erivo (Harriet) | +1400 |
| Saoirse Ronan (Little Women) | +2500 |
Johansson will again be a top contender in this category. Theron is always a legitimate Oscars threat. Ronan is nominated for her fourth Oscar and she’s just 25. Her time will come but not this year.
Zellweger is almost as prohibitive a favorite as Phoenix is among the best actors. The difference being she played someone beloved by Hollywood, the legendary and iconic Judy Garland.
This is her fourth nomination. Zellweger won best supporting actress for Cold Mountain in 2004.
Her performance as Garland was much like Garland herself – a total show stopper. This category is Zellweger’s to lose – and she won’t.
Pick: Renee Zellweger (-700).
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
