Academy Awards Betting: Daniel Day-Lewis and the British Aim to Conquer Hollywood's Big Night

Daniel Day-Lewis is sitting pretty in the Best Actor category. (Courtesy of Paramount Village)

This year’s Oscars are fit for Paul Revere.

The British are coming to Hollywood and they’re threatening to claim victory in many contests at the 80th annual Academy Awards on Sunday.

Led by London-born Daniel Day-Lewis, the United Kingdom is poised for a huge night with the awards only a day away. Day-Lewis is a given to win Best Actor. The star of “There Will Be Blood” is the overwhelming betting favorite with Oscar odds of 1/14 to win the category. It would be the 50-year-old actor’s second such honor and the first since his groundbreaking 1989 performance in “My Left Foot”.

In the Best Actress category, Julie Christie is the 1/2 choice to win for her role as an Alzheimer’s sufferer in “Away from Her”. Cate Blanchett is also nominated in that category but she’s a 30/1 long shot to win as Queen Elizabeth in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”. Blanchett, though, is the 6/5 favorite to win Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Bob Dylan in “I’m Not There”.

The Brits’ other big hope is “Atonement”, a Best Picture nominee based on the novel by Aldershot-born Ian McEwan. If that film wins it will mark a major upset. “No Country for Old Men” leads the race with Best Picture odds of 1/3. “Atonement” is a 10/1 long shot.

Get Academy Awards odds on all the premier categories, plus some unique props in the Bodog Sportsbook. For instance, you can wager on whether the broadcast will run over its scheduled three-hour time limit.