We’re handicapping the odds on the nine Best Picture contenders for the Feb. 26 Academy Awards. Today: Hidden Figures.

Quick pitch: In the early 1960s, NASA is trying to reach for the stars by sending astronaut John Glenn into space — but to get there it needs to respect three African-American mathematicians right here on Earth.

Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons and Mahershala Ali.

Directed by: Theodore Melfi

Nominations: 3

Key early kudos: SAG Award for Best Cast

Box office (domestic, U.S. dollars): $135.5 million.

Ladbrokes odds: 20/1

Paddy Power: 12/1

Sky Bet: 20/1

Why it could win: It’s a genuine crowd-pleaser, currently the box-office champ among the nine Best Picture nominees. And it won SAG’s Best Cast Award, strong indication that the actor-dominated Academy loves it.

Why it might not: It has just three Oscar nominations, none of them in the directing and editing categories that usually point to a winner.

Howell’s line: The Hidden Figures skyrocket reached the stars just by getting nominated.

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