The 93rd Academy Awards will celebrate the movies that were released during a 2020 calendar year that was marred by COVID-related postponements and rescheduled releases of blockbuster titles, creating for a new-look Oscars that could change the way the Hollywood industry does business going forth.
This year’s Oscars will allow for a maximum capacity live audience of 170 people to attend, and there has been an announcement indicating that the presentation will be cinema-like, which means that there will likely be the inclusion of pre-produced elements.
To add to the intrigue, these 170 spectators, as well as the announcers and nominees, will not be required to wear a mask during the Oscars.
Online sportsbooks have provided options for legal betting on the 2021 Academy Awards, but most of the lines feature nominees that are heavily favored over the rest of the pack.
While that scenario does create the opportunity for a large cash sum to be won by betting on an Oscar underdog, it doesn’t leave much room for profit when laying some action on the favorite.
Chadwick Boseman is expected to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his leading role in the film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a period piece set in the 1920s that focuses on racial discrimination in the music recording industry.
Boseman, who became a superstar following his breakout performance in Marvel’s Black Panther, passed away due to complications from colon cancer in 2020, and is poised to be the second posthumous winner of an acting Oscar in recent years.
Entertainment betting sites require bets of $12 to earn $1 by betting on Boseman to win the Oscar for Best Actor.
Odds To Win Best Actor (TODAY)
- Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) -1200
- Anthony Hopkins (The Father) +550
- Riz Ahmed (Sound Of Metal) +1400
- Gary Oldman (Mank) +3300
- Steven Yeun (Minari) +3300
While Boseman holds a massive lead over Anthony Hopkins at the moment, that span has been rapidly narrowing over the past 48 hours.
Odds To Win Best Actor (4/19/21)
- Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) -2000
- Anthony Hopkins (The Father) +750
- Riz Ahmed (Sound Of Metal) +1200
- Gary Oldman (Mank) +3300
- Steven Yeun (Minari) +3300
As you can see by comparing the above two entertainment prop bets, while Hopkins is nowhere near catching Boseman in the Oscars odds, he is closing the gap significantly.
Two days ago, Chadwick held a commanding 2,750 point lead in the money line, but as of this morning, Hopkins is 1,000 points closer.
Why is Anthony Hopkins gaining steam? This is likely only a result of bettors hedging by laying some action on the second-place option, but is there more to it than that?
The movement of these Best Actor odds also reveals how important it is to get in on these Academy Awards lines earlier than later, as the potential payouts on Hopkins are diminishing by the hour.
We advise monitoring the Oscar betting odds for Best Actor to see if there is further movement between now and 8 PM Sunday evening when the official ceremony begins on ABC, and be sure to check around at more than one book to shop for the best lines.
Odds – Bovada
Source – Vulture