Oscars '04: The bookies predict

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the favourite to scoop both best picture and best director awards at tonight's Oscars ceremony.

The full set of odds from Ladbrokes, who closed their books five days early, follows:

Best Picture
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (1/12 from 1/6)
Mystic River (7/1)
Lost In Translation (8/1)
Master and Commander (33/1)
Seabiscuit (33/1)

Best Director
Peter Jackson - The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (1/5 from 1/6)
Peter Weir - Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (8/1 from 20/1)
Sofia Coppola - Lost In Translation (8/1)
Clint Eastwood - Mystic River (8/1)
Fernando Meirelles - City of God (33/1)

Best Actor
Sean Penn - Mystic River (8/13)
Bill Murray - Lost in Translation (6/5)
Johnny Depp - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl (10/1 from 20/1)
Ben Kingsley - House of Sand and Fog (20/1)
Jude Law - Cold Mountain (33/1)

Best Actress
Charlize Theron - Monster (2/7)
Diane Keaton - Something's Gotta Give (4/1)
Naomi Watts - 21 Grand (8/1)
Keisha Castle-Hughes - Whale Rider (12/1)
Samantha Morton - In America (20/1)

Best Supporting Actor
Tim Robbins (4/6)
Alec Baldwin (3/1)
Benicio Del Toro (5/1)
Djimon Hounsou (10/1)
Ken Watanabe (10/1)

Best Supporting Actress
Renee Zellwegger (1/6 from 1/3)
Shohreh Aghdashloo (5/1)
Patricia Clarkson (8/1)
Holly Hunter (14/1)
Marcia Gay Harden (14/1)