2010 OSCARS BEST ODDS AND FREE PICKS

We're just a few hours away from the most anticipated awards ceremony on the planet and this year's edition of the Academy Awards is offering up some first rate odds and some very interesting special bets from the masters of the novelty bet- Irish bookmaker Paddy Power. 
Everybody knows that the 2010 Best Picture Oscar is a duel between The Hurt Locker and Avatar. You'll find the Hurt Locker's odds to win listed at 8/11 while Avatar trades at even money. Inglorious Basterds can be backed at 12/1 while Up in the Air (at one point considered Oscar favourite) trades at a lengthy 40/1. Precious, the definition of Oscar bait, trades at 50/1 while the delightful children's film Up is at 80/1. An Education, which I haven't seen but sounds boring, is listed at 150/1 while Sandra Bullock's The Blind Side and District 9 are both listed at the same price. A Serious Man is a serious longshot at 200/1. 
Kathryn Bigelow is very short priced for the Best Director Oscar. She's at a slim 1/5 while James Cameron is at 3/1. Quentin Tarantino is at 25/1 while Lee Daniels and Jason Reitman share an 80/1 price tag. 
Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart looks to be an absolute lock for the 2010 Best Actor Oscar. He's at 1/8 while George Clooney offers the bulk of the competition at 8/1 with  Colin Firth at 10/1. Morgan Freeman in Invictus is at 18/1 while Jeremy Renner's performance in the Hurt Locker is only listed at 25/1- virtually out of the running. 
Sandra Bullock looks like the first person to be accepting a Razzie and an Oscar on the same weekend as she is priced as the odds-on favourite for the Best Actress category at a 1/2 price. Meryl Streep remains competitive at 9/4 while Gabourey Sidibe is at 12/1 for her breakout role in Precious and Carey Mulligan has dropped to 7/1. Helen Mirren's performance in The Last Station trades at 50/1. 
Christoph Waltz is getting the 2010 Best Supporting Actor award, it's really that simple, and he is the shortest price on the board at 1/33 with Stanley Tucci in the Lovely Bones (which was terrible) trading at 14/1. Woody Harrelson is at the same price while Matt Damon and Christopher Plummer both sit at 25/1. 
Mo'Nique in Precious is also considered a virtual lock at 1/20. Anna Kendrick is listed at a 10/1 price while Maggie Gyllenhaal's role in Crazy Heart earns her a 16/1 price ahead of Vera Farmiga at 18/1. Penelope Cruz in Nine (which bombed) will get you a mere 25/1 for what would be an Oscar miracle. 

Up has wrapped up the Best Animated Feature Film category at a 1/20 price. Fantastic Mr Fox is at 8/1- that would have won in previous years. Coraline trades at 20/1, while the Secret of Kells (which I've never heard of until just now) pays out at 25/1 while The Princess and the Frog is at 33/1. 
You can also take a Hurt Locker double on best picture and director at 4/5- the same bet with Avatar pays 5/1. 
The only competitive markets are really the ones involving Avatar and the Hurt Locker so taking some probable winners and playing a large multiplier is probably your best way to go here. There are always a few surprises, with last years being Sean Penn winning out over Mickey Rourke. 
I'm taking Avatar x Bigelow x Bridges x Bullock x Waltz x Mo'Nique x Up @ 4.38. Be sure to check out our rundown of the specials betting markets on the 2010 Academy Awards!