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The Golden Globes are usually a precursor to who will be nominated for the much more extravagant Oscars that follow a few months later and with Heath Ledger receiving a Globes nomination for his brilliant portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight, it is only a matter of time before the late actor is given an Academy Awards nod as well.
An early betting line on Heath Ledger winning an Academy Award for his portrayal was set at +125 odds or better at Sportsbook.com, one of the leading online gambling websites taking bets on the Oscars. The payout for an early wager would be $125 for every $100 bet.
Ledger is in good company in the supporting actor category with Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. for "Tropic Thunder," Ralph Fiennes for "The Duchess" and "Philip Seymour Hoffman" for his role "Doubt." But perhaps no role in years has enjoyed so much hype especially with Ledger's untimely passing.
"We believe that when all is said and done, Heath Ledger will be made a 1/25 odds favorite or better to win a ‘Best Supporting Actor' Oscar for his role as The Joker," commented Payton O'Brien, Odds Analyst for the Gambling911.com website. "These were odds similar to those instilled upon Jamie Foxx a few years back for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the film ‘Ray'. In other words, this bet would be a ‘lock' but the risk would be substantial of course."
A 1/25 odd favorite would require a $25 bet just to win $1 (and you receive your initial $25 back if the bet is a winner).
The Oscars rank among the Top 5 most bet on single day/night events in any given year.
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
