Bodog Beat

With 30 Rock the favorite, do competing comedies stand a chance? (HBO Images)

The Emmy countdown has begun and as usual, last year's Emmy golden child 30 Rock (4/9) is the strong favorite to win the Best Comedy category once again. Tina Fey's NBC hit won in the comedy category the past two years and earned 22 nominations this year. However, there are little shows with a lot of heart waiting in the wings to snag the coveted prize. Cult shows including Fox's Family Guy (5/2) and HBO's Flight of the Conchords (5/1) are two such edgy comedies that had previously gone unrecognized.

Other comedies that have earned nominations include Entourage (5/1), The Office (37/20), How I Met Your Mother (2/1), Weeds (4/1) and of course, 30 Rock.

If you haven't been glued to your couch like your Bodog Beat staffers, we're going to break it down for you: Entourage centers around a young Hollywood actor, Vincent Chase. Chase rose to fame and brought his buddies from the Bronx along for the ride with him. The show is often stolen by Jeremy Piven's work as Chase's fast-talking agent, Ari Gold. Often, the show goes a little over-the-top and at times Vincent's aloof attitude juxtaposed against characters such as Johnny Drama is slightly unbelievable, but for viewers, the show itself is a welcome escape into the the world of superficial Hollywood.

After being addicted to Ricky Gervais' British version of The Office, when the American version was launched, we expected eminent failure. But – we were totally wrong! Steve Carell played the part of the lonely and delusional office manager, Michael Scott, perfectly. Carell is nominated for Best Actor and The Office is nominated for Best Comedy.

Flight of the Conchords has been one of our favorite shows over the past year. The Grammy Award-winning New Zealand comedy duo – Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement - play themselves as they attempt to develop an American fan base in New York City.

How I Met Your Mother is just plain good TV. Neil Patrick Harris totally steals the show as the lecherous Barney Stinson. Family Guy is great TV for some serious laughs. Although often disjointed, the show thrives on parody which sometimes misses the mark, but at other times, is pure genius.

Who will take home the Best Comedy Emmy? Get all your Emmy odds in the Bodog Sportsbook today.