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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Betting (and Winning) on the Oscars

    The Academy Awards ceremony is one of America's most-watched events, and Sunday's broadcast will be hyped for "suspense," as usual. But insiders and savvy gamblers know that most of the nominees don't have much chance of winning. There are only 6000 members of the Academy, and they choose the winners for "weird reasons."

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    By Warren Olney • Feb 20, 2015 • 1 min read

    The Academy Awards ceremony is one of America's most-watched events, and Sunday's broadcast will be hyped for "suspense," as usual. But insiders and savvy gamblers know that most of the nominees don't have much chance of winning. There are only 6000 members of the Academy, and they choose the winners for "weird reasons." Nevertheless, winners are predictable, and Oscar night is a good night for gamblers. That's according to Walt Hickey, lead life-style writer for FiveThirtyEight, a data-driven website that specializes in predictions.

    Photo: John Eckman

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    3. 42:37Betting (and Winning) on the OscarsYou’re reading this
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      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Evan George

      Director of Content, News

    • Sonya Geis with wavy brown hair wearing a black dress with red accents and decorative earrings against a white background.

      Sonya Geis

      Senior Managing Editor

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      Benjamin Gottlieb

      Reporter, Fill-in Host

    • KCRW placeholder

      Walt Hickey

      FiveThirtyEight.com

      NewsNationalPolitics

    The full episode

    3 of 3
    Is ISIS Religious? Does It Matter?
    1. 1:43Obamacare Gives an Extension and Admits (Another) Error
    2. 8:05Avoiding the "I" Word
    3. 42:37Betting (and Winning) on the OscarsYou’re reading this
    Back to To the Point