Celebrity / Will Hamer / 02 March 2010 / Leave a comment Bet Now

In-play betting on the Oscars can reap some benefits, offers Will Hamer.

With 24 categories, the Oscar telecast can be somewhat of a bore until the key awards are dealt out in the final hour of the show.

However, there's something to be said for keeping a keen eye on some of the minor awards as indicators for which flick is going to collect the gold statues that harbour the most interest, such as best director and, of course, best picture.

If this year's format follows roughly the same as 2009, pay particular attention to the award for best editing.

It should be handed out about half through the ceremony and has proved to be the most reliable yardstick for the winner of Best Picture.

Last year, as soon as Slumdog Millionaire won the editing award, there was a punter stampede for it to collect Best Picture and Director. And, while it was already very short, it trimmed further after it nabbed the editing prize, before going on to win the two big ones.

This year, with two movies in a battle for Best Picture favourtism, each up for nine awards, categories such as cinematography and the two sound awards might give some clues which way the Best Picture award will fall. While I don't think it will be as telling if Avatar nabs all three (it's certainly favoured to), if The Hurt Locker, its chief rival for Best Picture, wins any or even all of these three technical awards, then it's chances of a Best Picture win increases dramatically.

The theory goes that those Academy voters whose knowledge of the tech categories is poor will simply go with the movie they intend to vote for Best Picture. It's the reason why often the Best Picture winner sweeps categories and goes home with a pile of awards, some perhaps unjustifiably.

It might also explain why The Hurt Locker has been nominated for Best Original Score - certainly the most perplexing nomination of the year. For anyone who's seen the movie, you could be forgiven for asking 'Score? There was music in The Hurt Locker?'

Now, if the unlikely happens, and Precious or Inglourious Basterds start picking up awards such as editing or, in the case of the latter, cinematography or a sound award, then specking them for Best Picture will be even smarter thinking, because their now generous price for Best Picture will be slashed.

However, as with any in-play betting, being quick on the keyboard is paramount.