HOLLYWOOD, CA – November 18, 2005 – Sportsbook.com is the first company to offer odds on what movie will take home the 78th Oscar for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. According to research conducted by the odds makers, Cinderella Man is the early favorite with odds set at 6-1.
The Academy Awards is the most highly bet on event outside of the sports world and captivates millions of movie fans around the world. Everybody loves to bet on the Oscars,” says Alex Czajkowski, marketing director, Sportsbook.com. “Every year people join office pools and bet on the awards with their friends and coworkers – we’re offering another venue for fans to actively participate in one of the most highly watched programs of the year.”
Other contenders for the Best Picture Oscar include two films featuring George Clooney –Syriana (8-1), a political thriller based on the global oil industry and Good Night and Good Luck (10-1). Memoirs of a Geisha (10-1), the screen adaptation of Arthur Golden’s bestselling novel, Steven Spielberg’s Munich (12-1), the story of the assassination of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics and North Country (13-1) round out the top of the list. Several movies have recently lost some of their buzz, including Jarhead (50-1) which has met with mixed reviews from critics.
Sportsbook.com based its odds on research conducted with various entertainment insiders. In the near future, odds will also be made available on the other major categories, including Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Director.
“More movies may be added and the odds will certainly be affected by future betting patterns. Especially as some of the yet-to-be released movies are finally out and critics have a better sense of whether those movies are legitimate contenders,” added Peter Childs, Odds Maker, Sportsbook.com.
Best Picture odds
Cinderella Man 6-1
Syriana 8-1
Good Night and Good Luck 10-1
Memoirs of a Geisha 10-1
Munich 12-1
North Country 13-1
A History of Violence 15-1
All the Kings Men 20-1
Brokeback Mountain 20-1
Capote 20-1
The Constant Gardener 20-1
Kingdom of Heaven 22-1
The New World 25-1
King Kong 28-1
Ask the Dust 30-1
Crash 30-1
Match Point 30-1
Mrs. Henderson Presents 30-1
Walk the Line 30-1
Oliver Twist 40-1
Rent 40-1
The Producers 40-1
Broken Flowers 50-1
Derailed 50-1
Jarhead 50-1
Pride and Prejudice 50-1
Proof 50-1
The Matador 50-1
Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada 50-1
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 75-1
The Chronicles of Narnia 75-1
Get Rich or Die Tryin’ 100-1
The Family Stone 100-1
Hustle & Flow 250-1
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 500-1
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith 500-1
War of the Worlds 500-1
The 78th Annual Academy Awards take place at 8:00 p.m. (EST) on Sunday, March 5, 2006 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.