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Who will (and who should) win at the 2018 Emmy Awards

The 70th Annual Emmy Awards will be hosted by Colin Jost and Michael Che tonight on NBC.
Credit: George Kraychyk / Hulu
Elisabeth Moss as June on "The Handmaid's Tale."

Will the Emmys be dominated by white walkers or handmaids?

That's the biggest question on TV fans' minds heading into the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards Monday (NBC, 8 EDT/5 PDT). Michael Che and Colin Jost will step out from behind their "Weekend Update" desk on "Saturday Night Live" to host the ceremony. And HBO's "Game of Thrones," Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale" and FX's "The Americans" compete for the best drama award, while FX's "Atlanta" and Amazon's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" will vie for the outstanding comedy prize.

Before the trophies are handed out, we've made our best predictions about who will win in major categories and who should be standing onstage instead.

Drama series
"The Americans" (FX)
"The Crown" (Netflix)
"Game of Thrones" (HBO)
"The Handmaid's Tale" (Hulu)
"Stranger Things" (Netflix)
"This Is Us" (NBC)
"Westworld" (HBO)

Should win: "The Americans"
Will win: "The Handmaid's Tale"

The best drama race is, unfortunately, a fight between mediocre seasons from two previous winners. The seventh season of "Game of Thrones," while full of battles and incest, was all over the place in quality and aired more than a year ago, which means it's a distant, fire-and-ice-filled memory. "The Handmaid's Tale" won last year, but its second season was maligned by many critics. Still, its continued buzz and political relevance mean "Handmaid's" will likely eke out a win, but it's a shame for the most deserving nominee, "The Americans." FX's Soviet spy drama finally managed to worm its way into this category for a pitch-perfect final season, and it's one of the best shows in recent memory.

Comedy series
"Atlanta" (FX)
"Barry" (HBO)
"Black-ish" (ABC)
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
"GLOW" (Netflix)
"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (Amazon)
"Silicon Valley" (HBO)
"Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (Netflix)

Should win: "Atlanta"
Will win: "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"

Few shows on TV are as daring as "Atlanta," Donald Glover's auteur dramedy that's seemingly in a genre of its own, experimenting with form and offering some of the smartest, sleekest episodes on the air. Although the series is likely to triumph in some categories, the broader and much more fun "Mrs. Maisel," a celebration of comedy itself, is likely to walk away with this prize.

Elisabeth Moss as Offred/June on "The Handmaid's Tale." (Photo: George Kraychyk/Hulu)

Lead actress, drama series
Claire Foy, "The Crown" (Netflix)
Tatiana Maslany, "Orphan Black" (BBC America)
Elisabeth Moss, "The Handmaid’s Tale" (Hulu)
Sandra Oh, "Killing Eve" (BBC America)
Keri Russell, "The Americans" (FX)
Evan Rachel Wood, "Westworld" (HBO)

Should win: Keri Russell, "The Americans"
Will win: Elisabeth Moss, "The Handmaid's Tale"

Four women could easily have walked away with this trophy in a less competitive year (Moss, Russell, Oh and Foy), but thanks to her continually raw performance, this is Moss' category to lose, despite her series' decline in quality. More importantly, Russell's performance as Soviet spy Elizabeth Jennings is blisteringly good, barely holding it together as Elizabeth's world starts to crumble in the show's final season. That she's likely never going to nab an Emmy for this show is as big a crime as Moss never getting one for "Mad Men."

Elizabeth (Keri Russell), left, and Philip (Matthew Rhys) on FX's "The Americans." (Photo: Eric Liebowitz, FX)

Lead actor, drama series
Jason Bateman, "Ozark" (Netflix)
Sterling K. Brown, "This Is Us" (NBC)
Ed Harris, "Westworld" (HBO)
Matthew Rhys, "The Americans" (FX)
Milo Ventimiglia, "This Is Us" (NBC)
Jeffrey Wright, "Westworld" (HBO)

Should win: Matthew Rhys, "The Americans"
Will win: Matthew Rhys, "The Americans"

Brown has a very good chance at picking up another Emmy for his show-anchoring performance as Randall on "This Is Us," but, in a wildly optimistic prediction, I'm going with Rhys to collect the send-off award for his heartbreaking work on the final season of "The Americans," as Jon Hamm did for "Mad Men." Rhys' partner Russell might have been able to do this, too, if her category wasn't so much more competitive.

Rachel Brosnahan stars as Miriam “Midge” Maisel in Amazon's 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.' (Photo: Nicole Rivelli)

Lead actress, comedy series
Pamela Adlon, "Better Things" (FX)
Rachel Brosnahan, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (Amazon)
Allison Janney, "Mom" (CBS)
Issa Rae, "Insecure" (HBO)
Tracee Ellis Ross, "Black-ish" (ABC)
Lily Tomlin, "Grace and Frankie" (Netflix)

Should win: Rachel Brosnahan, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"
Will win: Rachel Brosnahan, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"

Since "Maisel" debuted, Brosnahan has mopped up awards for her performance, for good reason. The actress, previously seen in supporting roles on "House of Cards" and "The Blacklist," breaks out in a monumental way on the period drama, bringing to life Midge Maisel, the 1950s housewife who finds her true calling in stand-up comedy.

Donald Glover as Earn in "Atlanta" on FX. (Photo: Curtis Baker, FX)

Lead actor, comedy series
Anthony Anderson, "Black-ish" (ABC)
Ted Danson, "The Good Place" (NBC)
Larry David, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
Donald Glover, "Atlanta" (FX)
Bill Hader, "Barry" (HBO)
William H. Macy, "Shameless" (Showtime)

Should win: Bill Hader, "Barry"
Will win: Donald Glover, "Atlanta"

Hader has reinvented himself on HBO's "Barry," a dark yet whimsical series about a hitman who dreams of becoming an actor. The show was a surprisingly satisfying treat last spring thanks to Hader's performance, which swings between deep despair and hope. But it's unlikely he'll topple returning champion Glover, who deservedly received wild acclaim for the second season of "Atlanta."

Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski) on "The Handmaid's Tale." (Photo: George Kraychyk/Hulu)

Supporting actress, drama series
Alexis Bledel, "The Handmaid's Tale" (Hulu)
Millie Bobby Brown, "Stranger Things" (Netflix)
Ann Dowd, "The Handmaid's Tale" (Hulu)
Lena Headey, "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
Vanessa Kirby, "The Crown" (Netflix)
Thandie Newton, "Westworld" (HBO)
Yvonne Strahovski, "The Handmaid's Tale" (Hulu)

Should win: Vanessa Kirby, "The Crown"
Will win: Yvonne Strahovski, "The Handmaid's Tale"

Three "Handmaid's" stars are competing in this category, which could split the vote among devoted Emmy voters, especially since Dowd won this category last year and Bledel won as a guest star. But this season's standout was Strahovski, as her character slowly evolved from collaborator to resister in the show's totalitarian dystopia. Despite Strahovski's strong effort, the real winner here should be Kirby's final outing as Princess Margaret on "The Crown," a showcase for Kirby's considerable talents as the reckless princess battled melancholy after losing the love of her life. '

Charlie Heaton, left, and David Harbour co-star in a scene from Netflix's "Stranger Things." (Photo: Netflix)

Supporting actor, drama
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
Joseph Fiennes, "The Handmaid's Tale" (Hulu)
David Harbour, "Stranger Things" (Netflix)
Mandy Patinkin, "Homeland" (Showtime)
Matt Smith, "The Crown" (Netflix)

Should win: Matt Smith, "The Crown"
Will win: David Harbour, "Stranger Things"

In the second season of "The Crown," Smith elevated his portrayal of Prince Philip from generically unlikable to something far more nuanced, especially as the series gave context to his troubled childhood. But he'll likely lose out to Harbour's broodier turn on "Stranger Things," more a leading performance anyway.

Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson on 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.' (Photo: Nicole Rivelli, Amazon)

Supporting actress, comedy
Zazie Beetz, "Atlanta" (FX)
Alex Borstein, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (Amazon)
Aidy Bryant, "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
Betty Gilpin, "GLOW" (Netflix)
Leslie Jones, "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
Kate McKinnon, "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
Laurie Metcalf, "Roseanne" (ABC)
Megan Mullally, "Will & Grace" (NBC)

Should win: Betty Gilpin, "GLOW"
Will win: Alex Borstein, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"

The first season of "GLOW" is eligible for this year's Emmys, and it was in those early episodes that Gilpin's Debbie was a scene-stealer as a woman figuring out how to reclaim her body and identity after becoming a mother and getting divorced. But as fabulous as Gilpin is, industry veteran Borstein ("Family Guy") is likely to get long overdue recognition for her boisterous turn on "Maisel."

Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler, left) is an acting teacher who helps Barry Berkman (Bill Hader) find new purpose in HBO's "Barry." (Photo: John P. Johnson/HBO)

Supporting actor, comedy
Louie Anderson, "Baskets" (FX)
Alec Baldwin, "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
Tituss Burgess, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (Netflix)
Brian Tyree Henry, "Atlanta" (FX)
Tony Shalhoub, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (Amazon)
Kenan Thompson, "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
Henry Winkler, "Barry" (HBO)

Should win: Henry Winkler, "Barry"
Will win: Henry Winkler, "Barry"

Despite the role's iconic status, Winkler never won an Emmy for playing the Fonz on "Happy Days." But he might finally get what he long has deserved, thanks to his role as a washed-up actor-turned-drama teacher in HBO's "Barry." Winkler plays a man fighting to remain relevant in a profession he loves, but thankfully Winkler himself doesn't have to fight too hard.

Edgar Ramirez as Gianni Versace in 'The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,' episode 2, airing Jan. 24, 2018, on FX. (Photo: Jeff Daly/FX)

Limited series
"The Alienist" (TNT)
"Genius: Picasso" (National Geographic)
"The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" (FX)
"Godless" (Netflix)
"Patrick Melrose" (Showtime)

Should win: "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story"
Will win: "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story"

While not as popular or socially relevant as "The People v. O.J. Simpson," the second installment of Ryan Murphy's true crime anthology was operatically epic, beautiful and grotesque at once. It has solid competitors in "Patrick Melrose" and "Godless," but Murphy is an Emmy favorite, and "Versace" will easily slide to victory.

Darren Criss plays killer Andrew Cunanan in FX's 'The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.' (Photo: Jeff Daly, FX)

Lead actress, limited series/TV movie
Jessica Biel, "The Sinner" (USA)
Laura Dern, "The Tale" (HBO)
Michelle Dockery, "Godless" (Netflix)
Edie Falco, "Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders" (NBC)
Regina King, "Seven Seconds" (Netflix)
Sarah Paulson, "American Horror Story: Cult" (FX)

Should win: Laura Dern, "The Tale"
Will win: Laura Dern, "The Tale"

In a staggering performance, Dern plays a woman who comes to realize that she was sexually abused as a child. HBO purchased "The Tale" at this year's Sundance Film Festival, and had the film been distributed in movie theaters instead of on premium cable, we'd be talking about Dern's Oscar chances. She's just that good.'

"Big Little Lies" star Laura Dern returns to HBO with sexual abuse drama "The Tale," which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival. (Photo: KYLE KAPLAN/HBO)

Lead actor, limited series/TV movie
Antonio Banderas, "Genius: Picasso" (National Geographic)
Darren Criss, "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" (FX)
Benedict Cumberbatch, "Patrick Melrose" (Showtime)
Jeff Daniels, "The Looming Tower" (Hulu)
John Legend, "Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert" (NBC)
Jesse Plemons, "Black Mirror: USS Callister" (Netflix)

Should win: Benedict Cumberbatch, "Patrick Melrose"
Will win: Darren Criss, "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story"

The race between Criss and Cumberbatch is a title match between two very talented guys in their career-best performances. In "Versace," Criss makes everyone forget about "Glee" as Andrew Cunanan, who killed designer Gianni Versace and four other men in 1997. In "Melrose," Cumberbatch takes us through the life of a deeply damaged man, who was abused in childhood and abused substances as an adult. Cumberbatch does something just a little bit harder than Criss, but Criss has the momentum, the flashier project and the Ryan Murphy machine behind him.

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