2019 Emmy Award Odds & Picks for Each Category Ahead of Show

• Tonight, the 2019 Emmy Awards are awarded to the best in television
• Old favorites and new hit series alike are up as top contenders
• See the odds for all categories below

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Tonight (Sunday, September 22) at 8pm ET, the 71st annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be given out to the best in television over the past year. Series and stars face each other in head-to-head combat where only one per category can reign supreme.

The nominees this year are led by series juggernaut HBO followed by Netflix and then Amazon Prime Video.

With television being heavily regarded as arguably the most important storytelling platform these days, the Emmys are a big night for the whole entertainment business.

Outstanding Comedy Series Odds

*Odds taken September 22

Veep remains the favorite, but it was seen as -400 favorites when odds opened.

Vice-in-Chief

Julia Louis-Dreyfus returned this year to her acclaimed program Veep after a gap year. Turns out the time away really paid off. Fans and critics alike applauded the new season, with Louis-Dreyfus’ Veep now a bigger show to watch than ever.

Last year’s winner The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is still one to watch in this category, without a doubt. And given Barry‘s success it would make sense to see the Bill Hader-series take home this trophy, too.

The whole category sees some amazing programs across the board. Netflix’s Russian Doll was a big hit when it was first released, and The Good Place has become a fan favorite.

But you cannot deny the power of a comeback, and this year Veep came back bigger than ever.

Pick: Veep (+100)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Odds

All eyes are on Bill Hader as he took center stage in the hilarious Barry. Hader, a long-term character actor who got his start on Saturday Night Live finally sees his chance in the spotlight on Barry after years of playing minor characters.

Turns out Hader had it in him all along to win the audience’s mass appeal. Barry is well-loved across the board.

This category holds a few other major contenders too, with Hollywood royalty like Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method) and Don Cheadle (Black Monday)  filling out the other nominee slots.

But you can’t contend with Hader’s star-making turn in Barry.

Pick: Bill Hader (Barry) (-1000)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Odds

Alan Arkin and Henry Winkler might be the big names in this category, but Emmy judges do not discern based on legacy and/or popularity.

Tony Shalhoub has been praised for his work on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, so it’s pretty likely to see him carry that honor all the way to the winners’ circle.

Pick: Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) (-200)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Odds

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Odds

A nice reprieve from the regular programming as Fleabag takes the lead. Olivia Colman is the breakout star of the show, rightfully so.

This category has lots of nice representation from interesting shows such as Glow and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but it’s nice to see a real performance recognized rather than all the heavy-hitter beloved shows.

Pick: Olivia Colman (Fleabag) (+120)

Outstanding Drama Series Odds

Anyone who doesn’t live in a cave could have told you that this year, in the television world the main topic was the series finale of Game of Thrones.

The HBO heavy-lifter closed out its run after a too-long break, and the results received mixed reviews, to say the least. But despite fans’ reactions, you can’t deny the power of the fantasy series.

Even on its worst day, Game of Thrones is still considered better quality programming than its competitors. And given that it’s taken its last bow, we are likely to see voters awarding the final season almost as a thank you for making viewers invested in television as a medium again.

Thrones aside, we have some amazing and well-loved programs in the mix in this category. Killing Eve has picked up a lot of attention, Pose is a surprising up and comer, and Ozark really picked up steam this year.

But it could be anyone in the competitors’ seats here. Watch for Game of Thrones to clean up in this category, just as it has done the past several years.

Pick: Game of Thrones (-800)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Odds

Speaking of Pose, even it it’s not slated to win an Emmy in the series category, you can surely watch for breakout star Billy Porter to clean up in the lead dramatic actor category for his role as Pray Tell on the dramatic series.

A lot of long shots fill this category, made up of characters who’ve seen better seasons that what they’re nominated for here. This is Us’ Sterling K. Brown and Milo Ventimiglia and Game of Thrones‘ Kit Harington have all given us better work on previous seasons of their shows and not won on those respective years.

The only one really nipping at Porter’s heels here is Jason Bateman in Ozark. Bateman may be a bona fide film star now, but he truly makes sense on the television medium as we are able to see him unravel layers of his characters over the course of a few seasons. His work in Ozark is nothing short of impressive.

But Pose‘s Porter is a more fresh, unique character on an also beloved show. He’s going to take this one home.

Pick: Billy Porter (Pose) (+125)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Odds

Peter Dinklage was a shining star throughout the entire series of Game of Thrones, so it only makes sense to award the man.

It’s very unlikely anyone else in this category can sweep it, but Better Call Saul‘s Jonathan Banks is a close call if it’s going to be anyone but Dinklage.

Pick: Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) (-450)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Odds

Then we have Lead Actress in a Drama Series. This category is a very interesting race to watch.

With last year’s winner, Claire Foy (The Crown) out of the running, we see a fresh-faced batch of potential nominees, most of which may be true contenders for the prize here.

But nobody is more likely to take home this trophy than Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) for a performance many think was robbed of the trophy last time around.

Other performances in the category to watch include Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) and Laura Linney (Ozark), but none of them can touch the dramatic spectrum Sandra Oh has delivered throughout Killing Eve.

Pick: Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) (-1000)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Odds

Despite the Game of Thrones-heavy nominees in this category (No, seriously– four of the six? Wow!), we have Julia Garner’s killer performance in Ozark on our hands.

Garner’s been critically loved across the board, and it only seems right that she’ll walk home with this award.

Pick: Julia Garner (Ozark) (-130)

Outstanding Limited Series Odds

Ava DuVernay’s intense, boiling When They See Us  got major fanfare for its heartstring-pulling topic and execution. It’s s shoo-in to win this category.

We see a few other standouts such as the Amy Adams-led Sharp Objects and the Internet-buzz-heavy Chernobyl, but none of them close to When They See Us‘ gripping quality.

Pick: When They See Us (-800)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series Odds

Again, When They See Us comes out due to its passionate, fierce intensity. This program really connected with viewers and critics, and it’s a lot in thanks to the performances.

Jharrel Jerome shone in this hit, and he’s more than likely to end up on top.

Pick: Jharrel Jerome (When They See Us) (-200)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series Odds

It may not be a big hit in the other categories, but Fosse/Verdon was a big conversation piece for one thing in particular: Michelle Williams.

The Hollywood A-lister returned to television for this limited series and boy did she ever deliver. Her competition in this category is hardly even on the table, and she’s definitely slotted in for the win.

Pick: Michelle Williams (Fosse/Verdon) (-150)

Outstanding Television Movie Odds

An interesting assortment fills this category, but the odds are on Deadwood: The Movie. It’s not often a television show is wrapped up with a film, and when that happens it usually stinks. (No offense, Sex and the City fans, but really!)

Given Deadwood‘s delivery, it’s likely in the bag. But coming up for the win could be Netflix’s choose-your-own-adventure Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.

Pick: Deadwood: The Movie (-350)

Outstanding Variety Talk Series Odds

The battle of the talk show hosts is on. But then again, not all late-night shows are created equally. We’ve seen more seat swapping than ever in this field in recent years, and it’s quite divisive in terms of popularity.

John Oliver takes the lead with Colbert not far behind. But Oliver has a certain air of distinction and maturity that comes with his program. Turns out churning out water fights with the President and guessing games with Ariana Grande aren’t Emmy-worthy. Sorry, Corden and Kimmel.

Pick: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (-500)