[stereoman]

More than a bit early right now but Centrebet and Victor Chandler have odds ante-post as to what will end up winning 'Best Picture'.

Centrebet ~

INCEPTION 5.00
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT 7.00
BLACK SWAN 9.00
THE SOCIAL NETWORK 9.00
TOY STORY 3 9.00
ANOTHER YEAR 11.00
THE TREE OF LIFE 11.00
THE WAY BACK 11.00
BLUE VALENTINE 13.00
HEREAFTER 13.00
NEVER LET ME GO 13.00
TRUE GRIT 13.00
127 HOURS 17.00
MIRAL 17.00
SECRETARIAT 17.00
SOMEWHERE 17.00
THE FIGHTER 17.00
BIUTIFUL 21.00
CONVICTION 21.00
FAIR GAME 21.00
SHUTTER ISLAND 21.00
THE KING'S SPEECH 21.00
WINTER'S BONE 21.00
GET LOW 26.00
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 26.00
LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS 26.00
THE AMERICAN 26.00
THE TOWN 26.00
YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER 26.00
ALL GOOD THINGS 34.00
HOWL 34.00
RABBIT HOLE 34.00
THE BEAVER 34.00
WALL STREET:MONEY NEVER SLEEPS 34.00

Victor Chandler ~

The American 8/1
Hereafter 8/1
Miral 8/1
Toy Story 3 8/1
Biutiful 10/1
The Kids Are Alright 10/1
Inception 12/1
The Tree of Life 12/1
Somewhere 12/1
The Social Network 12/1
Get Low 14/1
The Way Back 16/1
Love & Other Drugs 16/1
Another Year 16/1
The Fighter 16/1
Shutter Island 16/1
Blue Valentine 18/1
Never Let Me Go 18/1
The Ghost Writer 20/1
The King's Speech 20/1
The Conspirato­r 20/1
Winter's Bone 20/1
True Grit 22/1
Morning Glory 22/1
The Debt 25/1
Conviction 25/1
The Beaver 25/1
Black Swan 25/1
Rabbit Hole 25/1
Secretaria­t 25/1
How to Train Your Dragon 25/1
London Boulevard 25/1
127 Hours 25/1
Fair Game 25/1
The Town 25/1
Adjustment Bureau 25/1
You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger 25/1
Due Date 33/1
Howl 33/1
The Special Relationsh­ip 33/1
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps 33/1
Jack Goes Boating 33/1

==============

This year's slate of Oscarbait doesn't feel at all memorable, and nothing out of these line-ups scream 'BEST PICTURE WINNER!!' to me.

I can see Inception getting a few nominations but science-fiction at the Oscars tends to be treated like a red headed stepchild. Never Let Me Go might get the BAFTA voting bloc behind it and it'll place but it's also science-fiction so unlikely to get too much of anything. Toy Story 3 will definitely place but it won't win because of the bias against animation.

The Social Network looks to be a big hitter but the subject matter (specifically Facebook) may see it get the snobby treatment and that it'll be snubbed.

...feels like the year The Departed won where we'll get a 'default' winner.