2016 Emmy Awards Predictions, According to Las Vegas

It’s hard to believe that the latest Primetime Emmy rendition is upon us, and yet, here we stand. Yes, winter is coming outside, but on the screen, it finally arrived for Game of Thrones lovers and it did not disappoint. The Thrones sixth season was one to behold from the Battle of the Bastards to Cersei’s revenge, the heralded HBO epic took their first unscripted turn and the risk was well worth it. The question is though, will it pay off on television’s biggest night?

Writer George R.R Martin wasn’t able to keep up with the heavily awarded series. GoT reached the end of his books and was faced with a decision, pack up shop or go rogue. They went rogue and we’ll find out this Sunday if the juice was worth the squeeze. Most are calling them the favorite, but Mr. Robot and The Americans are breathing down their necks. In the category of Outstanding Drama series, oddsmakers bet on Game of Thrones to take the top spot, however, as we’ve seen in so many recent years, it could be anybody’s game.

Let’s take a look at how the 68^th Primetime Emmy Awards are shaping up across the board.

MOST OUTSTANDING DRAMA

The race will be between the Thrones (-500) and Mr. Robot (+350). As much as we like The Americans (+700) and Homeland’s (+1,000) chances, it will really come down to those two. Now, while GoT was extremely entertaining, Mr. Robot is a favorite among many following a thrilling first season. The USA Network series drew in audiences with its dark and intriguing twist on a vigilante computer hacker’s quest to take down the world’s most influential people and companies. The series was so successful that it was almost immediately signed to a second season and lead actor Rami Malek was also nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama as well.

MOST OUTSTANDING COMEDY

In this category, again, there are two top dogs – Veep (-500) and Master of None (+600). The Julia Louis-Dreyfus-led White House and American politics-based satire is no stranger to the category. It has been nominated four times and won the award for the first time last year. The show has been so successful that in every season since its 2012 inception, Julia Louis-Dreyfus has also won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy. As for Master of None, this will be their first year at the Primetimes. They have had a busy inaugural season though with a variety of nominations between the Golden Gloves, Critics Choice and GLAAD Media Awards.

OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES

The people didn’t know if they could trust Cuba Gooding Jr after his latest NHL Awards appearance. However, he (thankfully) put his hosting skills in his pocket and broke out a moving portrayal of O.J. Simpson. The People vs O.J. Simpson (-400) was a sensational mini-series that truly encapsulated the feeling and emotion of the crime scene and courthouse. It looks to be an absolute lock, although Fargo (+200) and American Crime (+600) were also able to turn some heads and garner a few other major nominations in the process.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

As mentioned, Rami Malek (+250) is one of the front runners in this category, but he’s going to really need to be on his game if he wants to beat the timeless Kevin Spacey (+150). The House of Cards star has done it all and won almost every single kind of award, yet the Emmy has always evaded him. This could be his year. Hold the phone though, over the past few weeks chatter over Matthew Rhys (+200) performance on The Americans has really grown. Don’t be surprised if the 41-year old from Cardiff upsets the competition.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

When it comes to the actor side, the House of Cards star could be in trouble. However, when it comes to lead actress, the HoC starlet Robin Wright (-150) has it in the bag – as far as the odds go anyhow. The next closest competition for Wright is Homeland star Claire Danes (+350), who’s then followed by How to Get Away lead Viola Davis (+350). Watch for Wright to take home the hardware for her inspiring season four performance.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Once again Jeffrey Tambor (-250) is the highly acclaimed favorite. He is the reigning Outstanding Lead champ and also took home a Golden Globe in 2015 as well for Best Actor in a Television Series. He is followed closely by Master of None’s Anziz Ansari (+250) and Anthony Anderson (+400) of Black-ish. A sleeper in the category that nobody is really looking though is Thomas Middleditch (1,000) of Silicon Valley. The HBO series grew exponentially in their most recent third season and their lead man may have a shot at an upset win.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Speaking of walk-offs, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (-250) is no stranger to this category. As we mentioned earlier, she is the reigning title holder here and she’s also been nominated for and also the award for the past four years straight. Prior to her success with Veep, she also took home Emmy’s for her work New Adventures of Old Christine and Seinfeld. Following JLD is former Office star Ellie Kemper (+250). It’s her first time nominated for the award for her work on the Netflix freshmen series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She did an excellent job with the role, but it seems likely that the leading actress categories may be locks across the board.