Academy Awards Best Actor Latest Odds and Betting Preview

The 2026 Academy Awards might still be months away, but this year’s Best Actor race is already shaping up to be a showdown for the ages. Two generational leading men look set to go head-to-head, with Timothee Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio heading for a showdown in LA this March.

Could other candidates like Jeremy Allen White or Michael B. Jordan swoop in, though? In this Academy Awards Best Actor 2026 betting preview, we take a look at the shape of the current race and offer our take on who is likely to win.

Current Best Actor 2026 odds

The following are the current odds for the Best Actor category at next year’s Oscars from Betfred.

• Timothee Chalamet (Marty Supreme) - 7/2
• Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another) - 2/1
• Jeremy Allen White (Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere) - 5/1
• Michael B. Jordan (Sinners) - 5/1
• Paul Mescal (Hamnet) - 15/2
• Dwayne Johnson (The Smashing Machine) - 8/1
• Daniel Day-Lewis (Anemone) - 8/1
• Jesse Plemons (Bugonia) - 8/1
• Brendan Fraser (Rental Family) - 10/1
• Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent) - 10/1
• George Clooney (Jay Kelly) - 14/1
• Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon) - 16/1

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Who are the favourites to win Best Actor at the 2026 Academy Awards?

This year’s Best Actor race is setting up to be a showdown between two of Hollywood’s bankable stars: Timothee Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Timothy Chamalet vs Leonardo DiCaprio odds

At the young age of 29, Chalamet is already a two-time nominee, and he would become the second youngest actor to win the prize if he takes it home in March.

Chalamet’s performance in Marty Supreme has received widespread critical acclaim, and he is currently narrowly ahead of DiCaprio, sitting at 7/2 with Betfred. We think there is value in backing him. He is undoubtedly the man of the moment, and the Academy will see this as recognition of that.

DiCaprio’s One Battle After Another has some serious momentum right now, though, and is currently the favourite to win Best Picture at next year’s ceremony.

However, Best Picture success rarely guarantees a Best Actor win, with the same movie winning both awards just three times in the last 15 years, and once in the last ten. Leo is an Academy favourite, though, and there is value in him at 2/1.

Jeremy Allen White, Michael B. Jordan, and others

Jeremy Allen White looks the most likely to gatecrash the party, but a poor critical reception for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowehere means he will face an uphill battle. Given the calibre of stars he is up against, we would avoid him at 5/1.

If you want an outsider, though, Michael B. Jordan could be worth considering. Sinners has managed to insert itself into the awards conversation despite an early-year release, and Jordan is a popular figure within the industry. The fact that he plays two characters in the movie is also exactly the kind of gimmick that could appeal to voters. He is available at 5/1.

Paul Mescal is likely to round up the year’s five nominees, and he is available at 15/2. Elsewhere in the race, Daniel Day-Lewis’s return to the big screen in Anenome will probably miss out. At the same time, Dwayne Johnson’s transformative performance in the Smashing Machine appears to be losing momentum following a poor box office performance.

When are the Academy Awards 2026?

The 2026 Academy Awards will take place in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, March 15th. The ceremony will be hosted by Conan O’Brien.

The race for this year’s Oscars is already shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent memory, and you can keep up to date with all of the odds and analysis here at Betting.co.uk. Many of our UK online casino betting partners will accept bets on the Oscars, so you can use our analysis to wager.