2019 BAFTA Award Odds Preview

February sees the 72nd running of the British Academy Film Awards and once again, the great and the good from the UK’s TV and Film Industries will be in attendance. Commonly known as the BAFTAs, the awards are set out to recognise excellence in a number of categories and it will be another busy night for all involved.

This year, the ceremony takes place at London’s Royal Albert Hall on February 10 and it will be hosted for the second year in succession by Joanna Lumley. Once again, we have a busy set of betting markets tied to this event so let’s see if we can make any profits from 2019’s BAFTA tv awards.

Qualification

Before plunging into the markets it’s important to understand who qualifies to be nominated for the British Academy Film Awards in any category. The stipulation is that the film or TV programme in question can be created and produced in Great Britain or anywhere else in the world as long as it gets a UK showing.

That’s the basic rule so it really is open on a global basis and while there are many categories on the night, one section captures most of the interest.

The Big One

The Favourite

The one that they all want to win is the BAFTA award for best film or, as it’s more commonly referred to – best picture. We have two films leading the way here with most bookies listing the top two contenders as joint favourites. Roma is currently on offer at best industry odds of 7/4 with Coral and SportingBet while it’s also possible to pick up The Favourite at the same top price of 7/4 with William Hill and BetFred.

Of those two, The Favourite has the most nominations across all categories at this year’s British Academy Film Awards and it’s in the hunt for a total of 12 titles. It recounts the story of Queen Anna and the battle between members of her court for her attention and to become ‘The Favourite’.

Roma, meanwhile, is written and directed by Alfonso Cuaron and tells the story of his Mexican upbringing in the early 1970s. Both films have been met with widespread critical acclaim but the sheer weight of nominations for The Favourite may tip the award.

Other options in this category include A Star is Born and Green Book which are both available at 5/1 with SportingBet while the rank outsider here is BlacKkKlansman which is on offer at best odds of 20/1 with SportingBet again.

Best Actor

We start the most prestigious individual awards with best actor and here we have a clear favourite. Rami Malek is odds on across the board and can currently be claimed at a top price of 3/4 with 188Bet. Malek is hoping to get his name up with the long list of BAFTA awards winners for his portrayal of the late Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.

Behind the favourite we have something of a gap until we come to Christian Bale at 9/4 with BetFred. Steve Coogan is next at 5/1 with William Hill and Coral and it may be a surprise to see Bradley Cooper out at best odds of 12/1 with BetFred. Cooper has been nominated for his role in A Star is Born which received huge plaudits and was highly fancied to do well in the Oscars.

Bradley Cooper may, therefore, be a name to watch in that category while other options here include Viggo Mortensen at a top price of 33/1 with Ladbrokes and Coral and Ryan Gosling at a best of 40/1 with 188Bet.

Best Actress

Olivia Colman

This is where we think the Queen Anne biopic The Favourite will really come into its own. The lead role was played by Olivia Colman who has already won a host of trophies for her portrayal and we expect her to clean up at the BAFTA film awards too.

The problem is that everyone else seems to agree and as such, you can only get Colman in the best actress category at 1/4 with Coral, Ladbrokes and others. There are, of course, a number of alternatives led by the second favourite Glenn Close at best odds of 7/2 with BetFred and then the market really starts to move out.

The other names in this best actress category at the bafta tv awards are Lady Gaga at a top price of 11/1 with SportingBet, Melissa McCarthy at best odds of 40/1 with Ladbrokes and Coral and Viola Davis at a best of 50/1 with SportingBet.

Those are the main categories so can we make some profits from the 72nd edition of the British Academy Film Awards?

Verdict

The BAFTAs are open to entries from all over the world but as we have seen from some of those prices, there is a distinctly British feel to some of the higher ranked nominees. History tells us that it doesn’t always follow that a winner has to have a touch of ‘Englishness’ but for 2019 we think that aspect will help any film or actor to deliver a profit.

There are a number of additional categories with markets attached but we’re concentrating on the top three and we’ll start with the BAFTA award for best film. This looks to be a straight battle between the two joint favourites and while Roma has its fair share of support, this looks to be sewn up for The Favourite. There is such a weight of critical acclaim behind it and when you search online, it’s almost impossible to find anything other than a glowing review.

With that in mind, the most obvious bet of the night looks to be on Olivia Colman as Queen Anne in the same film. She is almost unchallenged in the best actress category at the British Academy Film Awards but only get on if you like your profits to be small ones.

If you are looking for an outside bet, then we would suggest taking a look at Bradley Cooper for best actor. Shocks are, however, rare on nights like these so it’s a case of looking at the following two picks for a modest return.

Best Bets:

• The Favourite to win Best Picture at 7/4 with William Hill
• Olivia Colman to win Best Actress at 1/4 with Coral