The 2025 Oscars ceremony is set to take place this weekend, with all eyes on how the three main categories once more – Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress.
Anora, Conclave and The Brutalist are the frontrunners for the film, while Timothee Chalamet and Demi Moore lead the running when it comes to leading individuals, but there is plenty of competition for all the awards
We’ll take a look at the top potential nominees for the awards and provide you with our best free entertainment betting picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash in the process.
| Academy Awards: Best Picture |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anora | -250 | -250 | -250 |
| Conclave | +300 | +300 | +300 |
| The Brutalist | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| A Complete Unknown | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
| Emilia Perez | +6000 | +6000 | +6000 |
| Wicked | +6500 | +6500 | +6500 |
| Dune: Part Two | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
| Nickel Boys | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
| The Substance | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
Learn more about how to bet on the Academy Awards here.
The favorite to come out on top in this category is Anora, despite the dramatic underperformance at the Golden Globes earlier this year, as the competition is beginning to lose momentum.
Big wins at the Producers and Directors Guild Awards have further strengthened it’s case and is a big reason for it being the frontrunners, but while momentum is slowing it isn’t completely gone.
For several months The Brutalist had been deemed by many to be the obvious successor, however the length of the film is seemingly going against it at the moment. That makes Conclave a very attractive bet at +300 if there is going to be a slight upset.
Anora came away with the win at the Cannes Film Festival and while that is considered to usually be a good indicator of what will happen at the Oscars, the film to win in Cannes hasn’t won an Academy Award as well since 2019.
Conclave was at high as +1600 earlier this year and has dropped massively. There is solid value considering the level of support it has alongside Anora, and it now seems like a two-horse race where there is only value on one of them. Take a punt at +300 to see an upset.
Check out our review for Bovada sports betting here.
Interestingly, The Brutalist’s Adrien Brody is the favorite for the award but he is struggling to get the required momentum in award season right now.
Timothee Chalamet‘s performance in A Complete Unknown has been hugely acclaimed critically and his excellent reputation also means he’s going to have plenty of support from the voters too.
Chalamet has been actively campaigning recently too and the Academy are big fans of this which will help, while having Kylie Jenner on his arm is hardly a bad thing either.
Adrien Brody remains dominant post-Globes and is certainly the name to beat in this category, but there is terrific value in going for a bigger household name who is actively pushing and has got momentum behind him.
Released just weeks ago, A Complete Unknown is currently enjoying rave reviews and a huge overperformance at the SAG nominations, indicating the film has garnered a lot more industry enthusiasm than previously anticipated.
Ironically, Brody is the youngest-ever recipient of this award but it could be Chalamet’s age that helps him. Brody’s performance came in a move that is on course for potentially winning Best Picture which is why he’s the favorite, but the best value is with Chalamet so he’s our pick.
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Demi Moore’s Golden Globe win for her role in The Substance has catapulted her to the very forefront of this race, but with Anora so highly thought of there is tremendous value in Mikey Madison coming away with a win.
The odds have dropped drastically in recent weeks and months and while many people would love to Moore come away with a win, Madison has a great chance of success.
Many had her tipped to win the Golden Globe and when she didn’t her odds changed drastically, presenting a great opportunity to get a top price on the leading actress in the film which is the frontrunner for Best Picture to get the credit she deserves with her own individual award.
The pick is still Mikey Madison at +130, so take it while you can before it drops as it feels as though the bookmakers have got this one wrong trying to correct the odds after Moore’s win.
About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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