Hubdub’s Hot Predictions this week, as decided by Hubdub users and staff, are selected based on their newsworthiness for the week. These stories are bound to be big news this week - and we have forecasts on how they’re likely to turn out.

General
The crash of a Colgan Air flight last Friday was the worst air disaster in the U.S. for quite some time, but why did 50 people perish? With revelations about the autopilot being on at the time of the crash, currently Hubdub is forecasting the crash was caused by human error. Significant ice buildup on the wings though has Hubdub forecasting the second likeliest cause was bad weather.

What’s the ‘main’ cause of the fatal Buffalo plane crash?

Entertainment

Since the Oscars Best Picture market was created last month there’s been a significant favorite all the way through. Currently Slumdog Millionaire has an 88% chance of taking home Best Picture, in second place right now is Brad Pitt’s the Curious Case of Benjamin Button with 8%. For all our other Oscar’s related market go here.

81st Academy Awards: Who will win the Oscar for Best Picture?

Sean Penn (Milk) and Micky Rourke (The Wrestler) seem locked in a continuing struggle for best actor. At first Rourke’s surprise performance saw him as the clear favorite for Best Actor this year. In the last few weeks though Sean Penn has picked up a sizable lead, and currently Hubdub forecasts he has a 62% chance of winning this year.

81st Academy Awards: Who will win the Oscar for Best Actor?

Often during the Oscar’s we get the wetworks from almost everyone who wins… This year it’s doubtful that won’t happen again. In the highly prized Best Actress category, there’s atleast a 62% chance according to Hubdub that the winner starts crying.

Will the actress that wins the best actress Oscar cry?

The price of oil has been about as, if not more turbulent then the stock markets in general these days. So turbulent that I think we can have a Hubdub first in that it’s truly anyones game as to whether we get $30 or $40 oil first. The market has had many wild swings, and it was only created last Friday. Right now Hubdub forecasts there’s a 54% chance Oil reaches $40 first.

Oil- up or down? Which comes first - $30 oil or $40 oil?

Trading percentages given are at time of posting and may not match up with markets after the fact due to Hubdub users forecasting on said markets.

Hubdub Top 5 81st academy awards, airplane crash, autopilot, best actor, best actress, Best Picture, buffalo, colgan air, cry, gas, ice, Micky Rourke, Milk, oil prices, Oscars, pilot error, sean penn, Slumdog Millionaire, stock market, The Wrestler

Nominees for the Oscars are going to be announced on January 22nd, but the speculation has already been simmering for quite awhile now. Much of the speculation has surrounded Heath Ledger and possible nomination as a last hurrah for his brilliant but short lived career.

At Hubdub we’re forecasting Ledger will win an Oscar for his role as the Joker. At time of writing he stands a 65% chance of winning an Oscar. The Dark Knight has a 59% chance of being nominated for Best Picture at time of writing as well.

Will Heath Ledger win an Oscar in 2009 for his role as the Joker in Dark Knight?

Oscar Buzz: Will ‘Dark Knight’ be nominated for Best Picture?

Usually commercial successes at the box office don’t make waves at the Oscars. I myself doubt Ledger will win an Oscar. Although his acting was superb, it’s extremely rare for dead actors to receive awards and I can’t stop thinking that our Hubdub forecast may be users predicting with their hearts instead of their brains. I’ve put H$300 on Ledger not getting a Oscar, anyone with me?

More typical Oscar movies such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Milk and Slumdog Millionaire are poised to be nominated for Best Picture, with all three being given an above 80% chance of being nominated by Hubdubbers.

Stay tuned for a more in depth blog post from our resident entertainment category editor at Hubdub, Jenni, in the next week.

Uncategorized Academy Awards, Best Picture, forecast, Heath Ledger, Milk, oscar nominations, Oscars, predictions, Slumdog Millionaire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight