Oscars 2023 Odds: Betting tips for the 95th Academy Awards

Jimmy Kimmel will complete the Oscars hat-trick when he emcees the 95th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 12, 2023.

Oscarologists will finally receive their answers after spending another arduous awards season debating who will take home gold from Hollywood's most glamorous event.

Ahead of its ceremony, we've assessed the latest 2023 Oscars odds for the top four major categories - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress - and provided you with our unique insight to aid in betting on the event.

Best Picture Predictions

According to The Hollywood Reporter's mathematical prediction model, historical data gives Everything Everywhere All At Once a 68.1% chance of being named this year's Best Picture.

This category has proven difficult to predict in recent years, with Spotlight, Moonlight, Green Book and CODA all upsetting the odds - some in more controversial fashion than others.

Industry expectation sides with the big-hearted sci-fi odyssey centred around a Chinese immigrant embroiled in an epic multiverse battle.

Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water marry box office success with marvellous technical achievements, while early critic love has carried The Banshees of Inisherin, Tár and Women Talking to a seat at the big table. 

However, wins at the Producers Guild, Directors Guild and Screen Actors Guild forecast EEAAO's continued success; as does its heavy odds-on status.

Playing devil's advocate, All Quiet on the Western Front's impressive win at BAFTA last month make it one to watch. Back in 1929/30, a big-screen adaptation won Outstanding Production and Best Director accolades.

Given the Academy's preferential ballot system and indicative prizes at the local guilds, it would require a near miracle to oppose the frontrunner.

Best Director Predictions

After winning the Directors Guild, an Oscars triumph path seems clear for Kwan and Scheinert, collectively known as the Daniels.

Like BP, the Best Director gong is seen as theirs to lose. Paddy Power and Betfair go as short as 1/25, giving you an indication of how tough it will be to dislodge the chalk.

Earlier in the season, 76-year-old Steven Spielberg was marked as the player to beat for his memoiristic The Fabelmans. Now a 7/1 shot, sentimentalists may be able to get behind the veteran claiming a first directing win for 25 years and only the third of his prestigious career after Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan.

In a different year, Todd Field and his psychological drama Tár would have represented strong competition. Meanwhile, Martin McDonagh carries a first ever bid 18 years removed from his Best Live Action Short scoop for Six Shooter.

Best Actor Predictions

Here's where things start to get a little more interesting. This year's Best Actor field posits a crapshoot containing three different avenues for the Academy to go down when selecting from its five nominees: the young upstart (Butler, Mescal), the middle-aged resurgent (Fraser) or the first-time veteran (Nighy); with Colin Farrell fitting into either of the latter two.

The underestimated Irishman has received the best reviews of his career as Pádraic Súilleabháin, best friend and drinking buddy to a 1920s folk musician. Things got off to a successful start when he pipped Brendan Fraser at the Venice Film Festival, but Banshees appears to have run out of steam.

Favourite Brendan Fraser delivers an incredibly emotional comeback as a 600-pound reclusive English teacher looking to rekindle the relationship with his estranged daughter. The 54-year-old's comeback story understandably gives him an edge, but there's also a belief that The Whale's lukewarm reception could hurt his chances.

That leaves this season's ingenue Austin Butler. He sounds and sings like the late great King of Rock and Roll, and also channels Elvis' signature charisma in the Baz Luhrmann-helmed biopic. His BAFTA and Golden Globe wins pitted him head-to-head with Fraser, and Elvis' Best Picture nomination historically bodes well for his chances.

In what is an unstable category, we'll take above even money for Austin Butler to be awarded the statuette.

Best Actress Predictions

An extremely tight two-woman race between Cate Blanchett and Michelle Yeoh has been the portrait for Best Actress across awards season.

Yeoh, who made her screen debut 40 years ago, has made history as the first Asian female star to compete for this particular Academy Award. Her win would write her further into the history books as only the second female of colour to be honoured in this category by the Academy.

Well-connected wild card Andrea Riseborough has perplexed the public after lobbying established her appearance on the 2023 ballot. These same connections could put her on top, especially considering how unlikely stories perforate the Oscars.

Instead, Blanchett's mesmerising performance as esteemed conductor Lydia Tár is the one to have caught our eye. Director Todd Field hangs a lot of the film's responsibility on the Australian-born actress' shoulders, frequently holding on her face as she fights to regain control of her disintegrating life.

Standing as roughly an 11/10 pick, the two-time winner has previously been successful with 2004's The Aviator and as Best Actress for Blue Jasmine in 2013.

Having collected awards from the Critics Choice and BAFTA, Blanchett's appeal spans large and broad voting bodies, making her price too difficult to ignore in such a close contest.