Brendan Fraser given 68% Chance to win Best Actor Oscar Award Ahead of Whale Release

Ahead of the Academy Awards taking place in March next year, the build-up and excitement are complimented by the ability to place bets with sportsbooks on who might win some of the major categories.

One of the most prestigious of these of course is the Best Actor Oscar and this year, even ahead of the film's release on December 9th, Canadian actor Brendan Fraser is favoured by betting sites to carry the famous oscar trophy off for his role in Whale and become the first Canadian to ever do so.

The film received a huge response when premiering at the 79th Venice film festival in September and Fraser is tipped to see off the likes of Colin Farrel, Austin Butler, and the English pair Bill Nighy and Christian Bale despite the film itself only being priced at +2100 to win best Picture

Best Actor Oscars Betting

Actor	Odds	Probability
Brendan Fraser	-220	68.8%
Colin Farrell	+240	29.4%
Austin Butler	+750	11.8%
Bill Nighy	+1100	8.3%
Christian Bale	+1400	6.7%

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Canadian Screen Awards Betting

First Best Actor Oscar for a Canadian

If Fraser were to win the award for Actor in a leading role he would be the first Canadian to achieve the accolade, with no fewer than 6 previous actors receiving nominations across 8 different films failing to convert nominations to Oscar trophies.

The list of unsuccessful peers before him includes Walter Pidgeon and Ryan Gosling

Actor	Year	Film
Walter Huston	1936	Dodsworth
Raymond Massey	1940	Abe Lincoln in Illinois
Walter Huston	1941	The Devil and Daniel Webster
Walter Pidgeon	1942	Mrs. Miniver
Walter Pidgeon	1943	Madame Curie
Alexander Knox	1944	Wilson
Ryan Gosling	2006	Half Nelson
Ryan Gosling	2016	La La Land

The Whale

The Whale is a film from a play by the same name focusing on a father [Charlie - Fraser] who tries to reconnect with his 17-year-old daughter having previously left the family for another man. He is portrayed as a 600lb man who has been binge eating to deal with his combined grief and guilt around his life situation.

The film won three awards at the Venice Film Festival, also prizes from the Mill Valley Film Festival and Montclair Film Festival.

Brendan Fraser is nominated for Outstanding Lead performance at the Gotham Awards which take place next week, alongside Hong Chau nominated for outstanding supporting performance at the same ceremony.

Oscars Best Picture Betting Odds

Film	Odds	Probability
The Fablemans	-105	51.2%
The Banshees of Inisherin	+340	22.7%
Everything Everywhere All At Once	+700	12.5%
Babylon	+1000	9.1%
Tar	+1000	9.1%
The Whale	+2100	4.5%