Yesterday our tour of Oscars betting odds took us to the first three contenders in the Best Actress category – Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz and Judi Dench – but then our server exploded, destroying all mention of any of those actresses.
But you know what? It doesn't matter. Because as far as this year's Best Actress Oscar betting odds is concerned, Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz and Judi Dench don't matter a jot. In fact, even though we're looking at the two favourite actresses today, one of those doesn't count. The Best Actress Oscars betting odds are a one-horse race this year. And it's a posh horse. That can drive a jeep. And shoot deers.
Here are the Oscars betting odds for the Best Actress category – for Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren – with help from Paddy Power…
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada – This is a slightly astonishing twist – there's a Best Actress Oscar nomination for a film that some people have actually seen. This is approximately the first time this has happened for over a million years. Having seen The Devil Wears Prada, it's a fair assumption that Meryl Streep prepared for her role as an evil magazine boss by watching Glenn Close in 101 Dalmatians and ripping it off as closely as she could. Having said that, it's rare for a comedic role to even be nominated for an Oscar, so that says something about Meryl Streep's talent as an actress. On the other hand, without The Devil Wears Prada there'd probably be no Ugly Betty, so Meryl Streep deserves more of a slap in the mouth than a Best Actress Oscar. Current Best Actress Oscar betting odds – 8/1
Helen Mirren, The Queen – Realistically, the other four contenders for the Best Actress Oscar could be anyone – Elizabeth Taylor, Vera from Coronation Street, The Honey Monster, anyone – because Helen Mirren has got this one more or less sewn up by putting on a wig, looking a bit older than usual and not smiling in an extremely posh way, Helen Mirren has won just about everything going so far, from a Golden Globe to a Guess The Weight Of The Cake Museum at a church fair in Somerset. The only thing that we can see stopping Helen Mirren from winning the Best Actress Oscar is boredom – the voters might want to give another actress a shot at winning an award for once. Let's hope that doesn't happen, because if Helen Mirren loses this Oscar, she'll want to have another crack at playing the Queen, maybe in a film about the second-hardest week of the Queen's life – when she only ate five swans for her dinner instead of six once. It's probably better that Helen just gets the Oscar this time. Current Best Actress betting odds – 1/16
Tomorrow – Dancing On Ice betting odds. But if that's too long to wait – or you feel like making more money than you know what to do with – head right over to the Paddy Power Oscars betting odds page to see the latest, and best, betting odds.
