Here's a roundup of Emmy Award predictions from the best pundits on the planet: Mike Ausiello (Entertainment Weekly), Kristin dos Santos (E! Online), Maggie Furlong (AOL TV Squad), Joseph Kapsch (Zap2It), Steve Pond (The Odds, The Wrap), Matt Roush (TV Guide) plus the Gold Derby/The Envelope team of Chris "Boomer" Beachum, Rob Licuria and me. Read category-per-category analysis here.

COMEDY SERIES
"Curb Your Enthusiasm"
"Glee" — Dos Santos
"Modern Family" — Ausiello, Beachum, Furlong, Kapsch, Licuria, O'Neil, Pond, Roush
"Nurse Jackie"
"The Office"
"30 Rock"

COMEDY ACTOR
Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory") — Ausiello, Beachum, Dos Santos, Furlong, Pond, Roush
Larry David ("Curb Your Enthusiasm")
Matthew Morrison ("Glee")
Tony Shalhoub ("Monk") — Kapsch, Licuria, O'Neil
Steve Carell ("The Office")
Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock")

COMEDY ACTRESS
Lea Michele ("Glee") — Dos Santos
Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("The New Adventures of Old Christine")
Edie Falco ("Nurse Jackie") — Ausiello, Beachum, Kapsch, Licuria, O'Neil, Pond, Roush
Amy Poehler ("Parks and Recreation")
Tina Fey ("30 Rock")
Toni Collette ("United States of Tara") — Furlong

SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR
Chris Colfer ("Glee") — Kapsch, O'Neil
Neil Patrick Harris ("How I Met Your Mother")
Jesse Tyler Ferguson ("Modern Family")
Eric Stonestreet ("Modern Family") — Beachum, Dos Santos, Licuria, Pond
Ty Burrell ("Modern Family") — Ausiello, Furlong, Roush
Jon Cryer ("Two and a Half Men")

SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS
Jane Lynch ("Glee") — Ausiello, Beachum, Dos Santos, Furlong, Kapsch, Licuria, O'Neil, Pond, Roush
Julie Bowen ("Modern Family")
Sofia Vergara ("Modern Family")
Kristen Wiig ("Saturday Night Live")
Jane Krakowski ("30 Rock")
Holland Taylor ("Two and a Half Men")

DRAMA SERIES
"Breaking Bad" — Dos Santos
"Dexter"
"The Good Wife"
"Lost" — Furlong
"Mad Men" — Ausiello, Beachum, Kapsch, Licuria, O'Neil, Pond, Roush
"True Blood"

DRAMA ACTOR
Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") — Ausiello, Furlong
Michael C. Hall ("Dexter") — Beachum, Kapsch, Licuria, O'Neil, Pond, Roush
Kyle Chandler ("Friday Night Lights") — Dos Santos
Hugh Laurie ("House")
Matthew Fox ("Lost")
Jon Hamm ("Mad Men")

DRAMA ACTRESS
Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer")
Glenn Close ("Damages")
Connie Britton ("Friday Night Lights")
Julianna Margulies ("The Good Wife") — Ausiello, Beachum, Dos Santos, Furlong, Kapsch, Licuria, O'Neil, Pond, Roush
Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order: Special Victims Unit")
January Jones ("Mad Men")

Here's who I predict will score bids when Emmy Awards nominations are unveiled Thursday morning:

BEST DRAMA SERIES
"Breaking Bad"
"Damages"
"Dexter"
"Mad Men"
"The Good Wife"
"Lost"

ALTERNATES: "Big Love," "Friday Night Lights," "House M.D.," "Sons of Anarchy," "Treme"

BEST COMEDY SERIES
"The Big Bang Theory"
"Curb Your Enthusiasm"
"Family Guy"
"Glee"
"Modern Family"
"30 Rock"

ALTERNATES: "Community," "How I Met Your Mother," "Entourage," "Nurse Jackie," "The Office," "Parks and Recreation," "Weeds"

BEST DRAMA ACTOR
Simon Baker ("The Mentalist")
Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad")
Michael C. Hall ("Dexter")
Jon Hamm ("Mad Men")
Hugh Laurie ("House")
Timothy Olyphant ("Justified")

ALTERNATES: Matt Bomer ("White Collar"), Kyle Chandler ("Friday Night Lights"), Matthew Fox ("Lost"), Peter Krause ("Parenthood"), Denis Leary ("Rescue Me"), Bill Paxton ("Big Love"), Wendell Pierce ("Treme"), Kiefer Sutherland ("24")

BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
Glenn Close ("Damages")
Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order: SVU")
January Jones ("Mad Men")
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife")
Katey Sagal ("Sons of Anarchy")
Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer")

ALTERNATES: Sally Field ("Brothers and Sisters"), Anna Gunn ("Breaking Bad"), Holly Hunter ("Saving Grace"), Melissa Leo ("Treme"), Anna Paquin ("True Blood")

BEST COMEDY ACTOR
Steve Carell ("The Office")
Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock")
Larry David ("Curb Your Enthusiasm")
Matthew Morrison ("Glee")
Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory")
Tony Shalhoub ("Monk")

ALTERNATES: David Duchovny ("Californication"), Joel McHale ("Community"), Thomas Jane ("Hung"), Charlie Sheen ("Two and a Half Men")

Our Emmy prophets Robert "Rob L" Licuria (AwardsHeaven.net) and Chris "Boomer" Beachum agree on the six nominees for best supporting actor, but they picked different "Lost" stars to win. Also check out their predix in these races: lead drama actor, best drama actress, best drama series, and best comedy series.

BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR: ROB'S PREDIX
1. Terry O'Quinn ("Lost")
2. Michael Emerson ("Lost")
3. Aaron Paul ("Breaking Bad")
4. Martin Short ("Damages")
5. John Slattery ("Mad Men")
6. John Goodman ("Treme")

Alternates: Campbell Scott ("Damages"), Chris Noth ("The Good Wife").

ROB'S COMMENTARY: Now that we know O'Quinn is submitting his name, I think it is safe to say that only he and Emerson will be representing from the "Lost" cast. It would be great to also see Daniel Dae Kim, Naveen Andrews and especially Josh Holloway, but I think two actors will fulfill the "Lost" quota (unfortunately).  Paul will return as will Slattery, and Short will fill that "Damages" slot (with Scott a real threat for a second "Damages" nod here too). I am going out on a limb, not having seen HBO's "Treme" yet, thinking that  Goodman might surprise here. This is a killer category, with lots of choices for voters to mull over. Let's hope they get creative.

Among all of the "Lost" cliffhangers looming as the past Emmy champ as best drama series (2006) airs its final TV episodes, fans wonder: Will Terry O'Quinn (winner, supporting actor in a drama, 2007) return to the derby after bowing out last year? And, if so, will he go lead or supporting? His role as the demonic "Man in Black" during the show's final season has been so prominent that he could certainly opt to jump up to the lead race.

But several months after Terry O'Quinn won in 2007, he told viewers of "The View" that he might not leap into any Emmy race: "My view was that, when you win an Emmy for a role, you ought to be ineligible for it again – for a while – maybe for a year or two or maybe not at all – till you get another role."

Apparently, O'Quinn now believes enough time has passed since his victory. He's rejoining the derby – and going supporting. He told our forums moderator Chris "Boomer" Beachum that he's going supporting because "all roles are supporting … whatever one calls them."

"I'm happy Terry's back in the race," cheers our other forums moderator Robert "Rob L" Licuria (AwardsHeaven.net). "He's the favorite."

Boomer notes that O'Quinn lived up to his promise to step aside after winning, "but obviously decided to take one last shot since the show is going off the air. He also has somewhat of a loophole in his theory since he isn't exactly playing 'John Locke' anymore. His character technically died and that body is inhabited by a dark possibly evil character usually called the 'Man in Black.'"

Here are the opinions of two of our forum posters. MissyGal says, "Well, that solidifies that O'Quinn and Michael Emerson will land supporting nods. As this point, I can't see O'Quinn losing." Hodag129 confesses, "Mixed feelings ... This essentially kills any shot Josh Holloway had at getting a nom. There's just too many other great supporting actors I cant see Lost getting 3 noms in this category. Unless Holloway does something amazing here in the finale and gets a lot of buzz."

O'Quinn's return to the Emmy supporting race sets up a sensitive clash: He'll compete against costar Michael Emerson, who won last year. Other strong contenders include 2009 nominees Aaron Paul ("Breaking Bad") and John Slattery ("Mad Men"). Patrick Dempsey ("Grey's Anatomy") and Vincent Kartheiser ("Mad Men") are also hefty contenders plus newcomers John Goodman ("Treme"), Craig T. Nelson ("Parenthood"), Chris Noth ("The Good Wife") and Campbell Scott and Martin Short ("Damages").

Below, watch O'Quinn's appearance on "The View" in 2008 when he voiced his plan to bow out of the derby. The discussion begins about five minutes into this clip.

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