Oscar Predictions: Who Will Win an Academy Award? This Data Company Thinks It Has the Answers.It's anyone's guess who'll take home a golden statue, but big data could provide some insight.

ByJason Fell

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

WillThe Wolf of Wall Streetwin theOscarfor best picture? OrAmerican Hustle? How aboutHer? Is Matthew McConaughey really a shoe-in for his performance inDallas Buyers Club? What about Lupita Nyong'o for best supporting actress in12 Years a Slave?

These questions (and many more) are top-of-mind as movie buffs anxiously await the 86th annual Academy Awards this Sunday evening. While most everyone has their own predictions, one company calledFarsiteis using "big data" to make its own, slightly more scientific predictions about who will be going home with a golden statue.

总部设在俄亥俄州哥伦布市,Farsite使用数据部ild statistical models for clients such as Dick's Sporting Group and others. Farsite's statistical model for the Oscars takes into account a number of important variables, including trends based on previous winners, previous nominations and award histories for each of the nominees, popular opinion and controversy, and winners of other film awards like the Screen Actors Guild, Writers Guild and Directors Guild.

Related:Monster or Mastermind? 3 Business Takeaways from Wall Street's 'Wolf'

Last year -- the company's first attempt at foreseeing Oscar winners --Farsite's predictions were surprisingly accurate, correctly predicting the Oscar winners for all major categories except Best Director and Best Supporting Actor.

Not too shabby. Maybe there's something to this big data thing...

Let's pull the cover off Farsite's proverbial crystal ball. Here are the company's Oscar-winner predictions for 2014 (yeah, it looks like McConaughey is a shoe-in after all):

Best Picture:12 Years a Slave(55 percent probability)
Best Actor:Matthew McConaughey (82 percent probability)
Best Actress:Cate Blanchett (59 percent probability)
Best Supporting Actor:Jared Leto (86 percent probability)
Best Supporting Actress:Lupita Nyog'o (85 percent probability)
Best Director:Alfonso Cuaron (72 percent probability)

Think Farsite's predictions are on point or completely off base?TELL US: Who Do You Think Will Win at the Oscars This Year?

Related:'Her' Got Us Thinking. Can You Love -- Like, Really Love -- Your Technology?

Wavy Line
Jason Fell

VP, Native Content

Jason Fell is the VP of Native Content, managing theEntrepreneur Partner Studio, which creates dynamic and compelling content for our partners. He previously served as Entrepreneur.com's managing editor and as the technology editor prior to that.

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