As such, DraftKings, one of the leading sportsbook operators in the United States, has decided to go right ahead and post its fixtures for the upcoming event, focusing on Best Picture at first. Oscar betting is available in several states that DraftKings has access to and a permit to operate in, including New Jersey and Michigan, Colorado, Massachusetts, and not least, Indiana and Louisiana.
DraftKings and Others Rally Behind Popular Movies
DraftKings has beefed up quite a few favorites, including Killers of the Flower Moon, which is Martin Scorsese’s true crime story starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro. Another pick on the list is naturally Oppenheimer by Christopher Nolan. Killers is currently listed at +275 as of the time of writing, followed by Oppenheimer with +600.
There are several other potentially strong picks, although they have long odds of actually hitting the Best Picture award. Those include Asteroid City with +1400 and Dune: Part Two +1200. Blitz, a movie directed by Elliott Lester and starring Jason Statham is given +900, although it has mostly tanked in reviews and audience reception
Interestingly, the order is pretty much the same not with DraftKings, but with most other prominent bookmakers. At the time of writing, both FanDuel and BetMGM list Killers of the Flower Moon as the favorite with +430 and +275 respectively. FanDuel has really amped up the odds to give fans a higher incentive to seek out the market and bet with the sportsbook.
Oscar Nominations and Awards Are a Fickle Thing
There are some long-shots that are not in the immediate but may still get nominated. For example, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has a good chance to get nominated, although winning would be a very difficult thing, argue critics. One of the movie’s strong sides is that it has been able to attract big audience, achieve box office success, and have critics talk about it.
Still, the Oscar jurors are a fickle lot, and just because sportsbooks have expectations, this does not mean they got it right. In the end, no movie or production on the list has to win the 2024 Oscars best picture at all. It could be a completely different movie entirely. For now, though, the odds suggest that you can place a few early birds and hope for the best.