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The precursor to the Academy Awards movie awards, the Golden Globe Awards, go off on January 17th. Naturally, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association event represents one of the year’s biggest occasions for proposition betting. Below follow the odds on nominees winning in certain categories as provided by Bet 365 online bookmakers, along with gut reactions provided by Live Bets Direct.

"Up in the Air": Up to the podium?

Best Motion Picture, Drama
Up In The Air: 8/11
Avatar: 16/5
The Hurt Locker: 7/2
Precious: 12/1
Inglorious Basterds: 16/1

Basically, this one, like the Oscars, will come down to two: “Up in the Air” and “The Hurt Locker.” While some sources have Avatar as a contender for Oscar-dom, here’s to thinking the Globe voters will look past the pretty F/X and simplistic story to serious issues. Issues like economic crisis, Iraq, abusive parenting and Nazis. It’s a tossup here and we shouldn’t be surprised to see a split between Golden Globe and golden Oscar. “Locker” might be worth your bet.

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow: 10/11
Jason Reitman: 11/4
James Cameron: 10/3
Quentin Tarantino: 12/1
Clint Eastwood: 16/1

The same matchup of “Up in the Air” (Reitman) versus “The Hurt Locker” (Bigelow). Go with Bigelow regardless of how you bet on Best Drama: The challenge of shooting in the desert is certain to earn the admiration of the Golden Globe voters.

Only one Streep can win...

Best Actor, Drama
George Clooney: 5/6
Jeff Bridges: 15/8
Colin Firth: 15/2
Morgan Freeman: 8/1
Tobey Maguire: 33/1

Best Actress, Comedy or Musical
Meryl Streep (in “Julie and Julia”): 1/4
Marion Cottilard: 9/2
Sandra Bullock: 14/1
Meryl Streep (in “It’s Complicated”): 25/1
Julia Roberts: 25/1

You gotta love those odds on Bridges, an attractive 15/8 for a dude that’s due at the Globes and plays the award-bagging raging alcoholic part. And a win for Streep against this crowd (including herself in a light-as-soufflé comedy) is a no-brainer. Want further reassurance? Consider these two *losing* at the National Society of Film Critics Awards, as reported by NY Mag:

Gold Derby’s Tom O’Neil reports that Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep led on the first ballots for Best Actor and Actress at yesterday’s voting for the National Society of Film Critics Awards. But, as these things often go, both eventually lost to wildly different people, Yolande Moreau and Jeremy Renner, after a second ballot was used and counting turned complicated (proxy votes fell out, and some rule about a winner being required to have both the most points and appear on a majority of ballots became more important)…

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Nine: 4/9
The Hangover: 5/1
500 Days of Summer: 15/2
Julie and Julia: 9/1
It’s Complicated : 14/1

It’s a crying shame that the word-of-mouth sensation of the year, “The Hangover,” doesn’t have a chance. If you bet on this one, you’ve taken too many roofies.

For a complete list of odds, please see visit Bet 365 online bookmakers. And we’ll see you at the movies!