<p>The Oscars, the Academy Awards, those little gold statues, whatever they’re called, the nominations for them are due to drop early next year.</p> <p>As always, Sportsbet is getting right into the spirit of awards season with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/novelties-and-entertainment/academy-awards/98th-academy-awards-9003094">a host of markets for the 2026 Oscars.</a></p> <p>From Best Picture to Best Actress and everything here, punters have the option to bet on one market after another.</p> <p>Not the biggest movie buff in the world and need a helping hand figuring out which films, actors and actresses could clean up on Hollywood’s night of nights? Then our 2026 Oscar predictions are essential viewing.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Best Picture Prediction</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>While the nominations haven’t been announced yet, there is a very, very clear favourite for Best Picture.</p> <p>Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest masterpiece ‘One Battle After Another’ is the clear frontrunner for the Oscar’s top gong.</p> <p>With odds this short and backed by an all-star cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro, ‘One Battle After Another’ looks to be a shoo in here.</p> <p>However, the critically acclaimed ‘Marty Supreme’ at 10.00 (at the time of writing) is a very intriguing value pick for all you ping pong enthusiasts out there.</p> <p>The Josh Safdie directed sports comedy-drama not only stars Hollywood’s it man Timothee Chalamet, but also currently has a 96% aggregate rating on Rotten Tomatoes.</p> <p>Betting tip:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/novelties-and-entertainment/academy-awards/98th-academy-awards-9003094">One Battle After Another.</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Best Director Prediction</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Naturally, if your film is the runaway favourite for Best Picture, it makes sense that you’d be the outright favourite for Best Director.</p> <p>That certainly is the case for Paul Thomas Anderson, who will be looking to win his first Oscar for directing at the 98th Academy Awards.</p> <p>Despite being widely regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of the 21st century, PTA has never won Best Director to the Oscars, even though he’s been nominated on three separate occasions.</p> <p>Will it be fourth time lucky this time around? We think so.</p> <p>Betting tip:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/novelties-and-entertainment/academy-awards/98th-academy-awards-9003094">Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another).</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Best Actress Prediction</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Alright ladies, you’re up. Best Actress has been becoming one of the most closely contested categories in recent years, with Hollywood seemingly overflowing with top female acting talent.</p> <p>This year is no different and while Hamnet’s Jessie Buckley currently leads the charge, we simply can’t pass up siding with an Aussie actress.</p> <p>Balmain local Rose Byrne is currently garnering widespread acclaim for her performance in the psychological drama ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.’ So much so, she is currently the second favourite for this Oscar as well as our pick.</p> <p>Betting tip:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/novelties-and-entertainment/academy-awards/98th-academy-awards-9003094">Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You).</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Best Actor Prediction</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Fellas, it’s your turn. Some serious Hollywood royalty is eligible for Best Actor this year. The likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Ethan Hawke and three-time winner Daniel Day Lewis, all turned in stellar performances this year.</p> <p>That being said, a young gun currently leads the way. Timothee Chalamet is the current favourite for his role in the potential ping pong picture of the year ‘Marty Supreme’.</p> <p>A supreme performance from a supreme talent at the peak of his powers, don’t be surprised to hear Chalamet’s named being called for this award.</p> <p>There have also been some serious whispers for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson of all people, for his turn as Mark Kerr in the sports biopic ‘The Smashing Machine’. He’s currently a heavy outsider but could be worth a look if nominated.</p> <p>Betting tip:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/novelties-and-entertainment/academy-awards/98th-academy-awards-9003094">Timothee Chalamet (Marty Supreme).</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Best Supporting Actress Prediction</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Sometimes the best performances don’t come from the lead roles. Case in point, this year’s Best Supporting Actress category.</p> <p>Names like Emily Blunt, Gwyneth Paltrow and Teyana Taylor all submitted memorable performances in 2025, but it was pop princess turned acting extraordinaire Ariane Grande who gave a truly Wicked showing on the big screen this year</p> <p>Betting tip:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/novelties-and-entertainment/academy-awards/98th-academy-awards-9003094">Ariana Grande (Wicked For Good).</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Best Supporting Actor Prediction</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Now, which bloke brought the best backup to big screen this year? Even though the official nominations haven’t dropped, this is already shaping as a two-horse race between two veteran actors.</p> <p>Sean Penn and Stellan Skargard are both Hollywood royalty at this point and both submitted performances worthy of this award.</p> <p>We’re siding with Stellan but count Sean out at your own risk. Also, there could be an eleventh-hour ambush from young heartthrob Paul Mescal, who has won some serious plaudits for his work in Hamnet.</p> <p>&nbsp;Betting tip:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/novelties-and-entertainment/academy-awards/98th-academy-awards-9003094">Stellan Skargard (Sentimental Value).</a></p>