Oscars 2022 Best Picture Odds

The Netflix drama “The Power Of The Dog” grabbed top honors in the Critics Choice and Golden Globes (which were not televised this year). The psychological drama details a strained relationship between a pair of rancher brothers, whose lives take a turn when one comes home with his new wife and her son. Eventually, a traumatic family secret is revealed. It leads all films with 12 nominations. “Belfast” and “CODA” are worth watching here, as well. "CODA" made a major move after its upset ensemble win in the Screen Actors Guild Awards. "CODA" was once as high as +2000, while "Dog" has fallen from -285. The price on "CODA" has soared during Oscar betting and is gettin the most tickets.

Oscars 2022 Best Actor Odds

Anthony Hopkins (+700) scored a major upset here last year over the late Chadwick Boseman (-1667). This year, Will Smith carries momentum and sentiment into this category. His third acting nomination was earned for his role as the tennis patriarch in the famed Williams tennis family. Smith copped “Best Lead Actor – Drama” honors at the Globes, and won top honors at the Critics Choice and SAG Awards. Two others here, Benedict Cumberbatch (“Dog”) and Andrew Garfield (“tick, tick … BOOM!”) are getting a push. But the “Prince of Bel-Air” will reign as a king this time.

Oscars 2022 Best Actress Odds

Once again this year, this category is loaded and offers multiple entrees that are Oscar-worthy. Jessica Chastain, who displayed the very human side of Tammy Faye Messner (Bakker), is now the favorite after her upset win for Outstanding Actress honors at the SAG Awards and her win at the Critics Choice Awards. She was +600 before the SAG Awards and is now -145. Kidman delivered the heat as the red-headed Lucille Ball in her depiction of the comedy legend in the Amazon vehicle “Being The Ricardos” and was once the favorite here. A tandem win for Chastain and Smith would give the Academy and the Oscars themselves a desperately-needed public jolt.

Elsewhere, Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”) brought the late Princess Diana to life while avoiding a trite presentation. One cannot ignore Olivia Colman, who has been nominated for various roles in three of the past four years and won this award in 2019 for “The Favourite.” The Academy can’t lose here. Sadly, the same thing cannot be said for bettors.

Oscars 2022 Best Director Odds

Last year, Chloé Zhao swept the Oscars, Golden Globes, and the Director's Guild award for her work in “Nomadland.” She was the second female to win the Best Director award. (The first was “Hurt Locker” director Kathryn Bigelow in 2010.) Campion made history with her second director nomination. Her first came in 1994 for “The Piano.” Campion and “Dog” are carrying all the pre-Oscar awards momentum. But Campion must beat the champion in Steven Spielberg, who now has been nominated for Best Director eight times across six decades. Spielberg won it for “Schindler’s List” in 1993 and “Saving Private Ryan” five years later. “West Side Story” lacks other nominations that might serve as a harbinger for a Spielberg win this time. Kenneth Branagh is the value play for “Belfast.” The Academy will likely honor Paul Thomas Anderson for his screenplay in “Licorice Pizza.”

Oscars 2022 Best Supporting Actor Odds

Oscars 2022 Best Supporting Actress Odds

The 2022 Academy Awards

On Sunday, March 27, 2022, glitz and glamour will ooze from every angle — in-person and otherwise. The socially-distanced red carpet at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood will once again be the center of it all. The Academy has seen TV ratings dissipate in recent years, with last year’s telecast drawing a record-low 10.4 million viewers. The ABC telecast will begin at 8 p.m. ET. The telecast will have three hosts this year – Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes. Whether that will boost or further shrink the size of the viewing audience remains to be determined.

The Oscars this year will again be unique. Movie houses across America reopened in 2021 following their COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, but fans have been mostly hesitant to return. The big exception has been the box office performance of “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” The joint Sony-Marvel vehicle has grossed $1.834 billion worldwide (the 6th most all-time) and $773 million Stateside.

Traditional producers reasserted their power this year. Only two of the top 10 Best Picture nominations are from streaming services. But “The Power Of The Dog” could give Netflix its first Best Picture honor.

The nominations were announced Feb. 8, 2022. The Golden Globe, Critics Choice and Screen Actors Guild Awards often offer a hint at who might win Oscars. The Globes were held privately in January. The 2022 Critics Choice Awards took place on March 13, while the SAG Awards were given on Feb. 27.

Here are the films with the most 2022 overall Oscar nominations, listed with their studio and/or most-recent streaming site:

Most 2022 Overall Oscar Nominations

Oscars Betting Tips

Think Like An Oscar Voter

Oscar winners are predetermined. They are chosen by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Who are the Oscar voters? Amid the #OscarsSoWhite and #MeToo movements, the Academy has revamped and expanded its membership. In 2022, there were 9,487 eligible voting members of the Academy. That's an increase of 60% since 2014. Less than 10 years ago, the makeup of the voters was less than 3% non-white.

These newer voters are younger, diverse and from outside the United States. This voting bloc has helped propel "The Shape of Water" and "Parasite" to Best Picture wins in recent years. Now, more than 1,200 voters are people of color and 3,179 are women. In 2020, 819 new voters were invited to join the Academy. Of those, 45% were women, 36% were from underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 49% were international from 68 countries.

The newer voters tend to favor portrayals of "real people." Best Actor Oscars were given to actors playing Winston Churchill and Freddie Mercury in recent years. Best Actress Awards winners were Olivia Colman — Queen Anne of Great Britain in "The Favourite" — and Renée Zellweger, who portrayed Judy Garland in "Judy" in 2019 and 2020.

Track Other Award Shows

The largest impact on Oscar betting odds often comes from three shows during awards season that pre-date the Oscars on the calendar.

The Critics Choice Awards has proven most predictable, its winners of Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture go on to win the Oscar about 60% of the time. The 27th Critics Choice Awards winners will be named March 13.

The Screen Actors Guild Award winner for "Best Actor" and "Best Actress" has won more than 80% of the same-year Oscars since 1999. This year, those winners were Will Smith ("King Richard") and Jessica Chastain ("The Eyes Of Tammy Faye"). Three of the past four SAG Best Actor winners and two of the past four Best Actress winners also took home the Oscar in the same category. The 28th Screen Actors Guild awards were awarded Feb. 27.

Top Oscars Betting Markets

Legal betting on the Oscars is a relatively new option in the United States. Limited markets are usually opened after nominations are announced for major awards such as Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Director.

Best Picture: Wagering on the top movie is typically the most-bet market, and with the influx of streaming movies, more and more people have seen the nominees, making for a more engaged betting public.

Best Actor: There has been a recent bias toward actors who portray “real people” — or at the least representations of them — in the Best Actor category at the Oscars. Bigger is always better for bettors. Larger-than-life real or imaginary characters also often catch the voter’s eye.

Best Actress: Winners of the Best Actress Award at the Oscars often represent the top echelon of Hollywood. Keep an eye on the biggest names and those who might have been slighted in the past. Recent winners read like a “Who’s Who?” of the movie elite.

Best Director: The best director doesn't necessarily go the same person who directs Best Picture. It often serves as backstop for voters to award more than one film worthy of a top honor. A watchword for this category is recent years is “diversity.”