Argo Goes from Underdog to Oscar Favorite
Only three times in 84 years has a film won the Best Picture Oscar without its director being nominated for Best Director, and by all accounts Ben Affleck, who directed the award-winning Argo, may become number four.
Movie critics and fans alike have watched in awe over the past few months how Argo has shifted from a betting underdog to the favorite at online bookmaker sites to win Best Picture at the 85th Academy Awards on Sunday, February 24th.
When the nominated names in the Best Director category were announced and Ben Affleck was left out (others call it snubbed), movie buffs agreed that Argo's chances of winning Best Picture were practically toasted.
But it seems that everything is going Affleck's way and after winning industry award after award in the past several months, Argo is now carrying odds of 1/6 to beat Steven Spielberg's Lincoln at online sports betting site, Bet365.
Righting a Wrong?
Before Argo began winning the top industry awards - the latest being Best Movie at the BAFTAs - Lincoln looked like a sure winner for Best Picture. Spielberg's epic coverage of the life of Abraham Lincoln leads the Oscars with no less than 12 nominations.
Lincoln is a well known story of one of the US's greatest Presidents and Daniel Day Lewis acts the main role - two very important reasons why Lincoln was favorite to win Best Picture.
However, could it be that the industry is determined to 'right a wrong' - that of Affleck inexplicably being left out of a Best Director nomination? Could this explain why he is winning so many industry awards, including the recent BAFTA title, the Directors Guild of America award, the Producers Guild and the Screen Actors Guild awards?
Movie expert, Tom O'Neil calls it a "surge to embrace Ben Affleck in the aftermath of his Oscar snub. It seems like such an outrage that his film is benefiting from it as a result."
However, others say that, nomination or no nomination for Argo, his movie deserves to win, explaining the Argo Best Picture odds. Out of the serious contenders for the Best Picture award, Argo is the most exciting in terms of plot. It also screams out the theme of American patriotism in a more contemporary way to Lincoln, a fact which has won over millions of fans.
Bet365 Odds for Best Picture
Bet365.com, the leading sports betting site which also offers multiple odds on the upcoming Academy Awards, has listed Best Picture odds as follows:
Argo - 1/6
Lincoln 9/2
Silver Linings Playbook - 40/1
Life of Pi - 40/1
Les Miserables - 50/1
Django Unchained - 50/1
Zero Dark Thirty - 80/1
Amour - 80/1
Beasts of the Southern Wild - 125/1
