2017 Academy Awards: La La Land an odds-on favorite
By Jeff Glauser
If you think there’s one movie that will clean house during Sunday’s Academy Awards, you must be in La La Land.
The blockbuster musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling was nominated for 14 Oscars, tying it with Titanic (1997) and All About Eve (1950). According to Vegas Insider, it is the clear-cut favorite to win at least a handful of them.
However, betting on the favorite is not necessarily a lucrative endeavor. For example, La La Land is the leading contender to bring home Best Picture, with 1/12 odds; meaning that a $100 bet will land you a cool $8.33.
La La Land follows the story of an aspiring actress a dedicated jazz musician struggling to make ends meet while pursuing their dreams in a city known for destroying hopes and breaking hearts.
If it pulls through, it would become the first motion picture in the romance genre to garner the honor since The Artist (2011).
Stone and Gosling are also among the top choices for the Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively. Stone leads her field at 1/8, while Gosling comes in third for his at 20/1, trailing Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea; 2/3) and Denzel Washington (Fences; 11/10).
Other leading contenders in major categories include: Mahershala Ali (Best Supporter Actor, Moonlight; 1/15), runaway favorite Viola Davis (Best Supporting Actress, Fences; 1/100) and Damien Chazelle (Best Director, La La Land; 1/20).
For those gamblers looking for a high-risk, high-reward pick, they may want to consider laying some cash on Arrival for Best Picture (200/1 odds).
The films with the most Oscar wins are the aforementioned Titanic, Ben Hur (1959) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), each with 11.
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The 89th Academy Awards, will take place Feb. 26 in Los Angeles at 8:30 p.m. EST on ABC and will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. Although no stranger to hosting awards ceremonies (Emmys, American Music Awards, et al), this will be his first time MCing the Oscars.