Christopher Plummer (Beginners) and Octavia Spencer (The Help) also appear to be clear favourites to pick up the Best Supporting Actor and Actress trophies, but the 30 ‘Oscarologists’ are split on the Best Actor and Actress honours.
The majority has picked Viola Davis (The Help) and Jean Dujardin (The Artist), but there are still experts pulling for Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) and George Clooney (The Descendants).
Meanwhile, Michel Hazanavicius is the clear favourite to lift the Best Director prize on Sunday for The Artist and Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris and Alexander Payne’s The Descendants have emerged as the frontrunners in the Original and Adapted Screenplay categories.
Billy Crystal will host the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday in Hollywood.
