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Ok, before we get started let’s all point to the elephant. Yes, many of these nominated actors are big-named stars. They’ve had their faces on billboards and the sides of buses and such notoriety might give them an unfair advantage. Maybe, if the Academy treats this like a popularity contest (and who knows if that’ll be the case). There. Now let’s shoo that elephant out of the room, because I’m not here to talk about whether or not Zach Galifianakis needs a Streamy. I’m here to talk about a acting.  So to avoid turning this post into a novella, I’m going to skip the rest of my intro and get right to it.

Best Male Actor In A Comedy Web Series:

Zach Galifianakis (Between Two Ferns): 2:1 (Will Win)
Sandeep Parikh (The Guild): 3:1
Amir Blumenfeld (Jake and Amir): 5:1 (Should Win)
Tony Hale (CTRL): 6:1
David Wain (Wainy Days): 6:1

I actually think this is a relatively close category. Tony Hale and David Wain have the same odds in that they both play the same sort of straight-man character (Hale moreso than Wain), playing off of the wacky and often-chaotic worlds in which they live. They’re fantastic at it, but the other nominees play characters that drive the chaos, and that places them in a more enviable spot. The Guild‘s Sandeep Parikh has a really good shot at the win, considering The Guild’s notoriety. Parikh is what I’d like to call a frontrunner in underdog’s clothing. He’s up against bigger names, but his connection to the Guild gives him an automatic boost in odds. Not to mention, his character is lovable and funny – two qualities that go over well with most voters.

Zach Galifianakis is an easy frontrunner. Between Two Ferns is undoubtedly hilarious. And I give Galifianakis a lot of credit for being able to maintain any semblance of seriousness, even when things start to get physical. And although he seems to be the biggest fish in the pool, I won’t be too bummed if he does walk away with the Streamy. He does a lot with very little (I mean, look at the set) so the show’s success rides on Zach’s acting skills. Even so, I think the Streamy belongs to Amir Blumenfeld. You might not know him by name, but if you’ve ever visited CollegeHumor.com, you’ll recognize his face. He’s all over it, and he is consistently on-his-game-hilarious. That says a lot, considering he’s got a pretty broad range of funny, from straight-man to instigator (though usually the instigator, even when pretending to be the straight man). Ranges speaks volumes, and out of this list of nominees, I’ve got to give it to Blumenfeld on that point alone.

Best Female Actor In A Comedy Web Series:

Joanna Cassidy (Sex Ed): 7:1 (Will Win, Should Win)
Justine Bateman (Easy to Assemble): 8:1
Illeana Douglas (Easy to Assemble): 9:1
Lisa Kudrow (Web Therapy): 12:1
Felicia Day (The Guild): 14:1

I know it sounds unfair (and it probably is), but I just don’t think the Academy is going to give it to Felicia Day again. The Guild has high odds in almost every other category, but not here. Maybe if the Streamys had a few more years under its belt, but giving it to someone for the second year in a row when it’s your second year as an organization just seems unlikely.  Joanna Cassidy is brilliant as Professor Alice Travase in Sex Ed. On the surface she might not seem like an obvious frontrunner, seeing as she plays a relatively straight-laced character in a series that’s more of a dramedy than an outright comedy, but when you watch the levels she hits in the episode “Travase’s Office” you’ll likely agree she deserves the win. Lisa Kudrow is always a pleasure to watch, but even in an entirely different format, it’s hard to separate her from other characters she’s played. It’s fun to see her play a quirky therapist in Web Therapy, and she’s great at it, but it falls a few inches short of Award-winning material.

It’s always interesting to see two actors from the same series up against each other for the win, and the only reason Justine Bateman gets slightly better odds than Illeana Douglas is because she plays a more comical role within the show. It’s a pretty tight race for the Easy To Assemble duo, and the only reason their odds are slightly higher than Cassidy’s is because, well, sex sells, doesn’t it?