Who will win the Oscars? The pundits weigh in

Despite the ten best-picture nominees and more than a little early-season shuffling, this season's Oscars are shaping up to be unfortunately predictable... At least so say the Oscar pundits.  I love that there are pundits for the Oscars.

Ew's Dave Karger, NyMag's Vulture pool, and a host of other Gurus of Gold have settled on the same picks:

• The Hurt Locker for Best Picture
• Kathryn Bigelow for Best Director
• Sandra Bullock for Best Actress
• Jeff Bridges for Best Actor
• Mo'Nique for Best Supporting Actress
• Christoph Waltz for Best Supporting Actor

(Also, The Cove, Up, and White Ribbon for documentary, animated, and foreign; Hurt Locker for best original screenplay and Up in the Air for best adapted, although there are more dissents here.  Vulture also helpfully picks the less popular categories, if you're interested.)

So if you want to do well in your office Oscar pool, run with the above picks.  If you like a few surprises, join me in rooting for a Meryl Streep upset (or better yet, Gabourey Sidibe or Carey Mulligan, who were each heartbreaking in their own way), a screenplay nod for the wacky genius of Quentin Tarantino, and a nail-biting foreign film race (that's the most contested category?! Yes).  I won't be wishing for an Avatar or James Cameron spoiler--Hurt Locker moved me in a way few films in recent memory have.  Kathryn Bigelow deserves all the accolades she gets and more.

If you're an awards show fiend like me, let me feed your habit.  Check out the Oscar Watch blog, Gold Derby, Notes on a Season, and the Carpetbagger.

Also, if you're interested in who should win an Oscar, not who will, the NYTimes has started a list.  What's yours?