Can Avatar Win Oscar “Best Picture”: Oddsmakers Unsure

Prior to the Oscars nominations being announced Tuesday morning February 2, oddsmakers were not so sure about whether Avatar could walk off with "Best Picture".  Sportsbook.com had the film with +300 or 3/1 odds, behind both Up In The Air and The Hurt Closet (both early near even favorites).  These odds were posted before Avatar ended up grossing over $595 million in the US and Canada, and $1.446 billion in other territories for a worldwide total of $2,042,741,709.

In the United States and Canada, Avatar is the second-highest-grossing film of all time and Box Office Mojo estimates that after adjusting for the rise in average ticket prices it would be the 21st-highest-grossing film of all time.  Avatar has made 70% of its total worldwide gross in international markets, becoming just the second film to earn over $1 billion dollars in international gross alone.

Avatar faces stiff competition this year.

Ten films have been nominated for "Best Picture".  It is a return to the way the Oscars were awarded in the movies' early decades when as many as 12 films were considered in the field of finalists, then-academy President Sid Ganis said announcing the change in June.

Best picture nominees included:

"Avatar"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
"Up in the Air"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Up"
"The Blind Side"
"District 9"
"An Education"
"A Serious Man"

Sportsbook.com was expected to release updated Oscars 2010 odds later in the day on Tuesday. 

Jordan Bach, Gambling911.com