posted February 22, 2008 at 19:01 in Other Articles

BetUS Oscar Betting Odds

TO WIN BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

February 24 -- Los Angeles

JAVIER BARDEM ("No Country for Old Men") -1600

CASEY AFFLECK ("The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford") +800

HAL HOLBROOK ("Into the Wild") +1200

TOM WILKINSON ("Michael Clayton") +1600

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN ("Charlie Wilson's War") +2000

Is there anyone who thinks an Oscar win is not in the cards for Javier Bardem, who plays the sadistic killer in "No Country for Old Men"? Movie goers will be talking about his performance for years. He could have been a top contender in the "Best Actor" category, if he had been so listed. As it is, he is posted at -1600 or 1/16 in the BetUS Oscar betting odds, which means there is a 94% chance that he will win.

Can anything get in the way of this freight train?

Maybe.

Let's take a look at Bardem's competition:

AFFLECK (8/1) -- I don't hear anyone really talking about him, and to be honest, I just don't see it. One thing he will get out of this nomination, though, is a higher salary for the next installment of the "Ocean's Eleven" franchise.

HOFFMAN (20/1) -- In the wake of his Best Actor win for "Capote" a couple of years ago, Hoffman, one of the great character actors, gets more offers for leading roles and more consideration when it comes to awards. But I do not think he is going to pull off the upset win when he has been honored so recently.

WILKINSON (16/1) -- I'm going to make him a genuine dark horse. In a film that was otherwise good but not great, he had the kind of over-the-top character that an actor of his caliber can really sink his teeth into. But there were moments of clarity that reminded us how brilliant an attorney his character was. When you can do that, and make people take you seriously in the process, you are doing an Oscar-worthy job.

HOLBROOK (12/1) -- Holbrook has been around for years and years and years. He has won an Emmy. He has won a Tony. But this is the first time he's been nominated for an Oscar. There might just be enough sentiment to get him through, although some people think Emile Hirsch should have been the nominee from the Sean Penn-directed "Into the Wild" for his lead performance.

Wilkinson and Holbrook may be "live" here, though not for a huge play. But we'd put a little money on them anyway, and hope that "upset angel" is flying around Los Angeles that day.

Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found in the BetUS.com Sportsbook, in Futures/props, under Entertainment Props.

(Charles Jay of http://www.ebookies.com is a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)