Is George Clooney a Sure Thing for the Best Actor Oscar? You Can Bet on It!

Odds appear to favor Decendants star getting a second Academy Award, according to the betting experts

By Josh Grossberg Jan 24, 2012 10:53 PMTags
George Clooney, Golden GlobesPaul Drinkwater/NBC

George Clooney's the man to beat in the Best Actor category this year.

His turn in The Descendants has him as the odds-on favorite—5-6, specifically—to win the award, according to the Wynn Las Vegas' Sports and Racing Operation.

But who might be looking to give him some real competition?

MORE: So What Are Ben Stiller's Oscar Chances Really?

The Artist's Jean Dujardin, that's who. The French actor has quietly—really quietly— made a big impression on critics and Oscar voters alike. His performance as a silent film star at the dawn of the talkies has him polling at even money.

Among the lead actresses, it's a close race between The Help's Viola Davis and The Iron Lady's Meryl Streep—Wynn has Davis at even odds and Streep 6-5. Fans of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo shouldn't get their hopes up too high: Rooney Mara is a longshot at 50-1.

In the supporting categories, Christopher Plummer is a near-lock at 1-9 for his work in Beginners while Octavia Spencer is expected to clean up in the supporting actress category with a 1-5 chance.

As for Best Picture, it's The Artist's trophy to lose at 2-1. That's followed by The Descendants at 7-1, The Help at 9-1 and Hugo, which has the most Oscar nominations, given 10-1 odds. 

Wynn's odds are similar with those set by the sports gambling site, Easy Odds.

Now if only someone could tell us the odds the Oscar ceremony will run long again?