New Jersey broke new ground in 2019 when it became the first US market with regulated sportsbooks to accept bets on the Oscars.
Now, the Oscars are less than a month away and New Jersey is at the forefront of what could be a growing number of US markets taking Academy Awards action.
This year’s awards will take place on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. ET. The Academy announced nominees on Jan. 13.
Over the next month, the majority of mobile sportsbooks will have Oscars-related markets available for bettors, adding another layer to the ever-growing sports betting industry in the Garden State. Many sportsbooks spread odds on all 24 categories, while others limited themselves to the more popular
Where to bet Oscars in NJ
2020 Oscars odds
The current Oscars betting odds were last updated Jan. 27, 2020.
Best Picture
[table id=253 responsive=scroll/]Best Director
| Nominees | DraftKings | FOX Bet |
|---|---|---|
| Sam Mendes (1917) | -835 | -650 |
| Bong Joon Ho (Parasite) | +450 | +425 |
| Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) | +1,700 | +1,300 |
| Martin Scorsese (The Irishman) | +4,000 | +5,000 |
| Todd Phillips (Joker) | +5,000 | +6,600 |
Best Actor
| Nominees | DraftKings | FOX Bet |
|---|---|---|
| Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) | -5,000 | -10,000 |
| Adam Driver (Marriage Story) | +1,000 | +1,200 |
| Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) | +3,300 | +5,000 |
| Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory) | +5,000 | +5,000 |
| Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes) | +6,600 | +5,000 |
Best Actress
| Nominees | DraftKings | FOX Bet |
|---|---|---|
| Renee Zellweger (Judy) | -3,335 | -2,500 |
| Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story) | +1,000 | +1,000 |
| Saoirse Ronan (Little Women) | +2,500 | +3,300 |
| Charlize Theron (Bombshell) | +3,300 | +2,000 |
| Cynthia Erivo (Harriet) | +2,500 | +4,000 |
Best Supporting Actor
| Nominees | DraftKings | FOX Bet |
|---|---|---|
| Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) | -3,335 | -5,000 |
| Joe Pesci (The Irishman) | +1,200 | +1,200 |
| Al Pacino (The Irishman) | +2,800 | +2,000 |
| Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) | +3,300 | +4,000 |
| Anthony Hopkins (The Two Popes) | +5,000 | +4,000 |
Best Supporting Actress
| Nominees | DraftKings | FOX Bet |
|---|---|---|
| Laura Dern (Marriage Story) | -3,335 | -2,500 |
| Margot Robbie (Bombshell) | +1,200 | +1,400 |
| Florence Pugh (Little Women) | +1,400 | +1,600 |
| Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit) | +2,500 | +1,800 |
| Kathy Bates (Richard Jewell) | +5,000 | +5,000 |
Where can I bet on the Oscars?
While Nevada stands as the industry-to-beat when it comes to sports, the Silver State is restricted by the Nevada Gaming Control Board from offering entertainment wagers.
In New Jersey, though, all 13 mobile sportsbooks feature Oscars odds:
- DraftKings Sportsbook
- BetStars NJ
- FanDuel Sportsbook
- Caesars Sportsbook
- 888 Sportsbook
- SugarHouse Sportsbook
- PointsBet NJ
- Resorts
- Hard Rock
- William Hill NJ
- PlayMGM
- Golden Nugget sportsbook
- BetAmerica
How can I bet on the Oscars in New Jersey?
First and foremost, obviously only customers 21 years and older can participate in Oscars betting. You also have to be in New Jersey to bet.
Bettors can wager on the moneyline of which film or person will take home the award within several categories. It’s as easy as just picking who you think will win.
Keep in mind, a negative number beside a name means that person or movie is favored to win. A positive number means that a movie or person is an underdog.
Available markets vary from product to product, but for the most part, each online sportsbook features the top six awards:
- Best Picture
- Best Director
- Best Actor
- Best Actress
- Best Supporting Actor
- Best Supporting Actress
Need a bit more guidance? Check out the video below:
2020 Oscars nominees for the major categories
Best Picture
- 1917
- Ford vs. Ferrari
- The Irishman
- Jojo Rabbit
- Joker
- Little Women
- Marriage Story
- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
- Parasite
Best Actor
- Antonio Banderas – Pain and Glory
- Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
- Adam Driver – Marriage Story
- Joaquin Phoenix – Joker
- Jonathan Pryce – The Two Popes
Best Actress
- Cynthia Erivo – Harriet
- Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story
- Saorise Ronan – Little Women
- Charlize Theron – Bombshell
- Renee Zellweger – Judy
Best Supporting Actor
- Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
- Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes
- Al Pacino – The Irishman
- Joe Pesci – The Irishman
- Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Best Supporting Actress
- Kathy Bates – Richard Jewell
- Laura Dern – Marriage Story
- Scarlett Johansson – Jojo Rabbit
- Florence Pugh – Little Women
- Margot Robbie – Bombshell
Best Director
- Bong Joon Ho – Parasite
- Sam Mendes – 1917
- Todd Phillips – Joker
- Martin Scorsese – The Irishman
- Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
2020 Oscars odds
Once the nominees are out, NJ sportsbooks will post odds for the categories. We’ll keep tabs on the biggest categories here.
How previous Oscars have gone
Feeling out of the loop when it comes to this year’s Academy Awards? That’s fair. And common.
Of the six big categories, the performer who seems closest to a lock for Oscar gold is Renee Zellweger for her performance as Judy Garland in Judy. She has taken down the key awards so far for a performance that ticks several boxes (showbiz story, real-life person, mental and physical health problems). However, keep in mind that, last year, Glenn Close seemed like the lock of locks and she was upset by Olvia Colman and her performance in The Favourite.
Joaquin Phoenix in Joker seems on a similar path to Oscar gold, but the backlash around the film could always extend over to his performance.
In the supporting category, Brad Pitt is currently steamrolling through a stacked Best Supporting Actress field, while Best Supporting Actress seems to be the wild card of the performance categories.
As for picture and director? Well, there appear to be three contenders: Parasite, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and 1917. Which ones will shake out on top is still pretty unclear, though Sam Mendes has to be the frontrunner for his single-shot coup, 1917.
Oscar predictions and expert advice
If studying up on movies and Hollywood stardom is not your thing, that’s OK. There are plenty of sites that offer predictions for the awards.
Gold Derby is probably the most well-known of them all. It tracks the entire awards season and, with the help of industry insiders, offers predictions.
Recent Oscars winners
Obviously, this marks the first year in which legal Oscars betting in NJ is a thing.
Let’s take a look, though, at the past five years’ worth of winners in the major categories.
Best Picture
- 2019: Green Book
- 2018: The Shape of Water
- 2017: Moonlight
- 2016: Spotlight
- 2015: Birdman
Best Director
- 2019: Alfonso Cuaron (Roma)
- 2018: Guellermo del Toro (The Shape of Water)
- 2017: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)
- 2016: Alejandro G. Inarritu (The Revenant)
- 2015: Alejandro G. Inarritu (Birdman)
Best Actress
- 2019: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
- 2018: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
- 2017: Emma Stone (La La Land)
- 2016: Brie Larson (Room)
- 2015: Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
Best Actor
- 2019: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)
- 2018: Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)
- 2017: Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)
- 2016: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)
- 2015: Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)
Best Supporting Actress
- 2019: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)
- 2018: Allison Janney (I, Tonya)
- 2017: Viola Davis (Fences)
- 2016: Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)
- 2015: Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
Best Supporting Actor
- 2019: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)
- 2018: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
- 2017: Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)
- 2016: Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)
- 2015: J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)