Oscars best bets to ride the new passion play

Academy members have proven to be risk taking and risqué with their choices in recent years. Consider hot dogs and dildos in Everything Everywhere All at Once, which swept at last year's Oscars. Or consider The Shape of Water, a fantastical tale about a woman who falls in love with a fish.

96th Academy Awards - Best Actress – Emma Stone

This sets up positive plays up for all involved in Poor Things. The film has shot out of the blocks at the Venice Film Festival, where it has delivered shock and audience awe, and won the Golden Lion.

On the Golden Lion to Oscars trajectory, it’s noteworthy that Searchlight Pictures delivered wins at both film awards with Nomadland and The Shape of Water. This is a studio who rival A24 in filling the trophy cabinet.

Leading the praise of Poor Things is a knockout performance by Emma Stone. Sportsbet have the actress priced at 2.75 and equal favourite, while bet365 have at 4.00

Carey Mulligan and Annette Bening are also in the frame, but both are overrated by bookmakers. Upon its release in Venice, Maestro was deemed good but not great. And while Bening’s turn in Nyad was met with positivity, the film has been met with a lukewarm reception.

This could be a special awards season for Stone, and the time to go shopping at 4.00 is now. This price will not last.

Medium to high conviction.

$4.00 bet365 - Emma Stone

Academy Awards – Best Director – Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things)

Poor Things has rocketed into Oscars 2024 contention, and captain of the rocket is visionary filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos.

Competition for the Best Director Oscars prize is stiff: the career narrative of Christopher Nolan as well as the prestige of the world's greatest living director Martin Scorsese.

But passion creates momentum and votes, and Poor Things looks like a package that will deliver both.

Lanthimos is a low to medium bet. Priced correctly by Sportsbet at 4.33, the folks at bet365 have the same at odds of 11-1.

It's too juicy to ignore.

$11.00 bet365 - Best Director – Yorgos Lanthimos