Academy Awards Predictions (from a Bookmaker)

Online bookmaker BetUS.com has released a few 2009 Academy Awards predictions heading into Saturday night.

Best Director Steven Daldry is a long shot that would pay out $2000 for every $100 bet at BetUS.com and the folks who run that online gambling site believe he has a legitimate chance:

"He comes into this race having captured no hardware whatsoever; none of the preliminary awards that lead up to the Oscars," says Charles Jay of BetUS.com, who will be working the red carpet (of his home).  "But if you are looking for a legitimate long shot, this could be the way to go. Daldry's film, "The Reader" is nominated for five Oscars (including Best Picture) and may just win one for Kate Winslet. Daldry has directed only three feature films, and not a lot of people saw them - "Billy Elliot" and "The Hours" came before this - and he has been nominated for best Director for all three of them. What does that tell you? The Academy voters LIKE him, because they could just as easily have passed him up. Do not count him out of this."

As far as "Best Actors" go, Jay believes Sean Penn offers the best value in what many consider a "two man horse race".

"Sean Penn played a role in "Milk" that was more substantial than the one he won the Oscar for in ‘Mystic River.' The film was virtually ignored by the Golden Globes, but the Academy has given it eight nominations. Somewhere along the line it has to get honored. Obviously this is a group of voters who appreciated the movie a lot more. Penn is the only previous winner in this category, and it should be neck-and-neck between him and his old friend Rourke for this award.

"The winner? Well, because he is getting a price, and because I consider it relatively even at the top, I would say the better value play here is Sean Penn."

Penn pays $13 for every $10 bet at BetUS.com.