Hollywood’s biggest night is just around the corner, with the 2026 Academy Awards set to take place on Sunday, March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The Oscars provide some of the most popular entertainment betting markets of the year, allowing fans to bet on the night’s biggest awards while cheering on their favourite actors and films.
The odds have shifted dramatically over the past few months, but there’s still plenty of value to be found among this year’s major categories. Sunday’s award show will feature several high-profile films and performances, from Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another to Michael B. Jordan’s starring role in Sinners.
With a number of key markets still taking shape, the race for Oscar gold remains wide open in several major categories. Before Hollywood’s biggest stars step onto the red carpet, let’s take a closer look at some of the more popular categories heading into the 2026 Academy Awards.
Best Picture
| One Battle After Another (-500) | Sinners (+250) |
| Hamnet (+3000) | Marty Supreme (+4000) |
| Bugonia (+10000) | Frankenstein (+10000) |
| Sentimental Value (+10000) | Train Dreams (+10000) |
| F1 (+20000) | The Secret Agent (+20000) |
We’re jumping right in with the biggest award of the night. Best Picture is always the headline category at the Oscars, and this year’s race is beginning to look like a two-horse race. One Battle After Another is the odds-on favourite, having already won Best Motion Picture at the Golden Globes, Best Film at the BAFTAs and Best Picture at the Critics’ Choice Awards. Sinners has also emerged as a legitimate contender, with strong critical reception and consistent presence in early awards discussions.
Both of these films have emerged as the clear frontrunners, although a few other contenders remain within striking distance. If you’re looking to back a longshot, Hamnet and Marty Supreme still have an outside chance of crashing the party on Oscar night. The Best Picture category has produced its fair share of surprises over the years, so nothing can be taken for granted until the envelope is opened.
Best Actor
| Michael B. Jordan – Sinners (-150) | Timothee Chalamet – Marty Supreme (+140) |
| Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another (+1000) | Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent (+1600) |
| Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon (+2000) |
Not only is the award for Best Actor one of the biggest categories of the night, but it is also one of the most wide open races heading into the 2026 Oscars. Michael B. Jordan leads the way for his powerful performance in Sinners, which has earned widespread praise from critics throughout awards season.
Timothée Chalamet is not far behind thanks to his titular role in Marty Supreme, where he portrays a charismatic but conflicted table tennis star rising through the sport’s competitive ranks. Leonardo DiCaprio is also a name bettors shouldn’t ignore. As the only past Best Actor winner in the field and the lead in one of the year’s most celebrated films, One Battle After Another, his longer odds would lead to a massive payout if he takes home the award.
Best Actress
| Jessie Buckley – Hamnet (-3500) | Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (+1600) |
| Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue (+2000) | Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value (+2500) |
| Emma Stone – Bugonia (+2800) |
Best Actress is shaping up very differently from the other major acting categories. While several races remain wide open, this one appears to have a clear frontrunner. Jessie Buckley has emerged as the runaway favourite for her role in Hamnet, where she delivers a powerful portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare, the grieving mother at the centre of the film’s emotional story. Buckley’s performance has earned widespread critical praise, quickly positioning her as the actress to beat.
The rest of the field includes strong showings from Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Renate Reinsve and Emma Stone, but the betting markets suggest this race firmly belongs to Buckley. Unless a late surprise emerges, Best Actress currently looks like her award to lose on Oscar night.
Best Director
| Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (-2000) | Ryan Coogler – Sinners (+600) |
| Chloe Zhao – Hamnet (+1400) | Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (+4000) |
| Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value (+5000) |
This is another category that appears to have a clear frontrunner heading into the 2026 Academy Awards. Director Paul Thomas Anderson is the heavy favourite thanks to his work on One Battle After Another. Anderson is widely regarded as one of the most respected filmmakers of his generation, with a career that includes acclaimed films such as There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights and Licorice Pizza. Despite multiple nominations over the years, he has yet to win an Oscar for Best Director, which only adds to the momentum surrounding this year’s award show.
While Anderson currently sits comfortably atop the betting odds, a few challengers remain within striking distance. Ryan Coogler has earned significant praise for directing Sinners and could emerge as the most realistic threat to Anderson’s lead. Chloé Zhao also remains part of the conversation, bringing her Oscar-winning pedigree after taking home Best Director for Nomadland in 2021. Still, barring a surprise on Oscar night, Anderson remains the clear favourite to win Best Director.
If Hollywood betting is your thing, then our recent look into the wildest celebrity bets available right now will be right up your street.