Betting news, tips and exotic markets for the 2016 Golden Globes

YOU wouldn’t typically relate the film industry with gambling, but it’s award season in the US and and the 2016 Golden Globes on Monday has attracted the interests of our recommended bookmakers and loyal punters.

Betting markets on the five major film categories have been offered by WilliamHill.com.au and there are plenty of familiar faces to bet on. Golden Globes favourite Leonardo Di Caprio has again been well-favoured to take the Best Actor trophy – is this the year he finally reigns supreme?

It wouldn’t be a Best Actress category without Australia’s own Cate Blanchett, who was nominated this time for her portrayal as the title character Carol Aird, an ageing woman going through a rough divorce. Fellow cast member Rooney Mara plays her romantic interest and is also among the nominees.

The Best Director category is always hotly-contested and directorial superstar Ridley Scott leads the betting with his space-age classic The Martian – which is also nominated for Best Motion Picture in the Musical or Comedy section.

Best Motion Picture – Drama betting

Spotlight – $1.33
The Revenant – $4.33
Carol – $10
Mad Max: Fury Road – $17
Room – $17

Spotlight is the very hot favourite with bookmakers to take home the major movie award. The movie follows the plight of journalists working for the Boston Globe, investigating allegations against priest John Geoghan, who was accused of molesting more than 80 boys. The cast features Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams.

The Revenant has been given a solid rating of 82 percent on well-known movie critic website Rotten Tomatoes, and the performance of Golden Globe nominee Leonardo Di Caprio gives it that extra boost.

The other three movies are all at double figure odds and unlikely to take the award. Carol is a dialogue-heavy film which has not received a lot of support, but stellar performances from Blanchett and Mara give the film some appeal.

Mad Max: Fury Road was a visual delight when it was released last year. It is a big-budget spectacular which did well at the box office, but the $17 looks fair in a category that rarely favours action movies.

We can’t find room for Room. It just doesn’t have the star power attached to it.

Best Motion Picture – Drama selection: The Revenant ($4.33) at WilliamHill.com.au

Best Actor and Actress betting options

Best Actor:
Leonardo Di Caprio (The Reverant) – $1.17
Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs) – $5
Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl) – $15
Bryan Cranston (Trumbo) – $23
Will Smith (Concussion) – $29

Leonardo Di Caprio is the overwhelming favourite to win the Golden Globe and we can’t see him being beaten.

The $1.17 at WilliamHill.com.au is very short, but he’s a great multi-bet inclusion as it’s unlikely any of his competitors gave performances up to his level. Michael Fassbender played Steve Jobs, which didn’t require any supreme acting. Eddie Redmayne is fresh off a stellar 2015 awards season with his performance as Stephen Hawking, but won’t trouble the favourites this year.

It’s good to see Bryan Cranston – known from TV fame as Walter White on Breaking Bad – as a major contender in a movie role. Will Smith has also had a solid year – his performance in Concussion, a movie about a former NFL player who died from sport-related concussions was well-received.

Best Actress:
Brie Larson (Room) – $1.57
Cate Blanchett (Carol) – $4.33
Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn) – $6.50
Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl) – $13
Rooney Mara (Carol) – $13

American actress Brie Larson is the surprisingly-short favourite for Best Actress. She gives a good performance as a woman held captive in Room and the Golden Globes like giving awards to up-and-coming actresses.

This is the first major role for Larson, who had minor roles in The Gambler, 21 Jump Street and Trainwreck.

Australia’s own Cate Blanchett is a solid win chance at $4.33 for her role in Carol. Blanchett is always an awards contender and we think she is at value here.

The beautiful Saoirse Ronan is on the third line of betting at $6.50 with fellow screen goddess and newcomer Alicia Vikander at $13 for her role in The Danish Girl – oddly enough Vikander is Swedish. Rooney Mara has a good presence in film, but looks an outsiders chance only.

Best Motion Picture – Comedy betting

The Martian – $2.20
The Big Short – $2.75
Joy – $3.75
Trainwreck – $17
Spy – $26

We weren’t exactly in stitches watching current favourite The Martian, but quite often award shows put movies in the wrong category – The Wolf Of Wall Street was regarded as a comedy in 2014.

That being said, it was a good movie from director Ridley Scott who is a veteran in the scifi genre and a win wouldn’t surprise many movie critics. Its main rival is The Big Short, which looks a lot like Wall Street and contains a stellar cast of Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell and Marisa Tomei.

The film finds the comedy in the financial collapse and that should make it a very good watch. The $2.75 looks a solid chance at WilliamHill.com.au.

Joy is a chance at $3.75 and the other two movies look unlikely to result in a win. Trainwreck revolves around the character played by Amy Schumer and whilst the movie is funny, it is more likely to win at the MTV Movie Awards later this year.

Best Director odds and tips

Ridley Scott (The Martian) – $2.75
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (The Revenant) – $3
Tom McCarthy (Spotlight) – $3.50
George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road) – $8
Todd Haynes (Carol) – $13

So many credible directors in this list and none more so than current favourite Ridley Scott. His direction of The Martian has been praised by critics, but we’re going to favour the next three in the betting order.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu burst onto the scene last year with Birdman and he’s back at it this year with The Revenant. The Mexican director has a unique eye for direction – we think the $3 is a good price.

Tom McCarthy will also be well-fancied for Spotlight and with that film being odds-on for Best Motion Picture – Drama, it’s highly likely his chances of winning best director increase.

George Miller is an outside chance for Mad Max and we think he deserves plenty of credit. The $8 is worth a shot.