Our Emmy gurus Chris "Boomer" Beachum and Rob Licuria (AwardsHeaven) are in agreement that veteran comedy actress Jane Lynch will win her first Emmy Award for her supporting work on the rookie hit "Glee." Beyond this top pick, they rank the other nominees with both believing Julie Bowen from another freshman series -- "Modern Family" -- to be a strong contender.

Below is their in-depth analysis of this contest. Rob and Boomer also share their insights on guest drama actor, guest drama actress, guest comedy actor and guest comedy actress. And the three of us weigh in on the top drama series and comedy series races as well as best TV movie, best reality/competition show and best reality show host.

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS: BOOMER'S PREDIX
1. Jane Lynch, "Glee" ("The Power of Madonna")
2. Jane Krakowski, "30 Rock" ("Black Light Attack")
3. Julie Bowen, "Modern Family" ("My Funky Valentine")
4. Holland Taylor, "Two and a Half Men" ("Give Me Your Thumb")
5. Kristen Wiig, "Saturday Night Live" ("Host: James Franco")
6. Sofia Vergara, "Modern Family" ("Not in My House")

BOOMER'S COMMENTARY: Jane Lynch wins the Emmy for this category within the first three minutes of the Madonna-themed episode and then just keeps adding on funny scene after funny scene. She also gets to star in a shot-for-shot remake of the famous "Vogue" music video. Easy prediction and a well-deserved victory after many years of great comedic performances.

I imagine actresses over 35 on this judging panel will be enthralled by Jane Krakowski's episode in which she faces the perils and horrors of moving from the ingenue to mother stage of an acting career. She has so many funny moments, it is kind of a shame she will probably never win for this role. Julie Bowen gives a charming performance on a Valentine's Day-themed episode where she and her husband go on a date and pretend to pick up each other in a bar. It's a nice blend of sparkling dialogue and physical humor.

Holland Taylor has already received several nominations for this character but no wins. I liked some of her previous submissions much more than this one, which is somewhat on the dry-humor side rather than physical. Kristin Wiig has only two moments on her episode that might appeal to voters (the Lawrence Welk parody and her impersonation of Kate Hepburn), but it can't top the other ladies in this category.

Sofia Vergara made a major error on her episode choice, in which she has little to do other than react to a stuffed dog butler in her home. She has such a high industry buzz right now, a win could have been possible with the right choice.

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS: ROB'S PREDIX
1. Jane Lynch, "Glee" ("The Power of Madonna")
2. Julie Bowen, "Modern Family" ("My Funky Valentine")
3. Kristin Wiig, "Saturday Night Live" ("Host: James Franco")
4. Holland Taylor, "Two and a Half Men" ("Give Me Your Thumb")
5. Jane Krakowski, "30 Rock" ("Black Light Attack")
6. Sofia Vergara, "Modern Family" ("Not in My House")

ROB'S COMMENTARY: I think the episodes in this category are not nearly as strong as the comedy supporting actors' choices. Right off the bat, Sofia Vergara either isn't sure how the process works or simply is not interested in winning an Emmy this year. Her performance in her chosen episode is negligible, to say the least. And Vergara has some episodes in the can that make her very competitive.

Ditto for Jane Krakowski, who I found to be irritating in this episode. Not funny at all in my mind, and this is coming from a fan of hers. I'm not sure any actors from "30 Rock" are going to win this year, what with the relatively weak material they were given in the substandard fourth season. Similarly, Holland Taylor's nomination smacks of a filler to me. She has a couple of good scenes and is generally a well-liked veteran and excellent actress, but this performance is nothing to write home about.

While our Emmy experts Chris "Boomer" Beachum and Robert "Rob L" Licuria (Awardsheaven.net) are divided as to which guy will get an Emmy for guesting on a comedy series, they agree that today's "it girl" Betty White is a sure thing to win the guest actress race for hosting "Saturday Night Live." Indeed, there was so much Emmy love for this episode of the late-night staple that it also got nominations for directing, writing, art direction, hair styling, lighting and makeup.

Boomer and Rob each assess the state of this race below and have already made forecasts, as did I, for best comedy series as well as lead actor and actress.

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY: BOOMER'S PREDIX
(Ranked by likelihood to win)
1. Betty White, "Saturday Night Live" ("Host: Betty White")
2. Tina Fey, "Saturday Night Live" ("Host: Tina Fey")
3. Kristin Chenoweth, "Glee" ("The Rhodes Not Taken")
4. Elaine Stritch, "30 Rock" ("The Moms")
5. Christine Baranski, "The Big Bang Theory" ("The Maternal Congruence")
6. Kathryn Joosten, "Desperate Housewives" ("The Chase")
7. Jane Lynch, "Two and a Half Men" ("818-JKLPUZO")

BOOMER'S COMMENTARY: This Emmy Award was practically won weeks before the episode even aired! Most everybody was excited about Betty White hosting "Saturday Night Live" when it was first considered and then announced, but she surpassed all of the lofty expectations with the help of the writers, director, cast, returning "SNL" stars and her own funny, funny, funny performance. It was truly one of the most incredible performances I have ever seen on "SNL" or any variety series!

Along with White, this category is completely loaded down with past Emmy winners in every spot except for Jane Lynch (who will most likely pick up an Emmy for "Glee" in another category). Tina Fey won this same category last year for a return trip to her SNL roots. She again gets to play Sarah Palin (as she did last year with her win) plus quite a few other characters in various sketches. The "Brownie Husband" commercial alone might sway the voters, but Betty White is just too much to overcome.

Kristin Chenoweth has the perfect role of a former glee club star and does an especially good job throughout her episode (both acting and singing). Elaine Stritch always elevates every moment of her time on "30 Rock," and this time is no exception. She has also won an Emmy for this role, but her screentime is more limited than for her winning year.

While I love Christine Baranski as Leonard's mother on "The Big Bang Theory," I thought her performance last year was better written and developed. Both Kathryn Joosten and Jane Lynch are good but must bring up the rear for this overloaded category this year.

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY: ROB'S PREDIX
(Ranked by likelihood to win)
1. Betty White, "Saturday Night Live" ("Host: Betty White")
2. Christine Baranski, "The Big Bang Theory" ("The Maternal Congruence")
3. Kristin Chenoweth, "Glee" ("The Rhodes Not Taken")
4. Tina Fey, "Saturday Night Live" ("Host: Tina Fey")
5. Elaine Stritch, "30 Rock" ("The Moms")
6. Kathryn Joosten, "Desperate Housewives" ("The Chase")
7. Jane Lynch, "Two and a Half Men" ("818-JKLPUZO")

ROB'S COMMENTARY:I am still not sure why Jane Lynch or Kathryn Joosten were nominated in this category. Both excellent actresses and great roles, but this year and in the episodes they have submitted, it’s just not enough for what I consider to be an otherwise competitive category. Lynch has about three and a half minutes in one scene to shine, and although she has some great one liners, she doesn’t move from her seat and barely registers any other emotion other than a more toned-down Sue Sylvester (her character from "Glee"). This nomination is a bit of overkill I think. Ditto for Joosten, who is charming and ultimately heartbreaking as an old gal diagnosed with cancer. True-to-life sentiment and the high regard that voters hold for Ms. Joosten got her in this race, but I can’t see it being her winning here again this year.

Betty White's critically praised appearance boosted "Saturday Night Live" to its best ratings in 18 months. The four-time prime-time Emmy champ certainly lived up to the hype and could be rewarded with her 17th Emmy nomination.

When the Emmy Awards eliminated the individual performance in a variety series category last year, "SNL" hosts became eligible to contend in the guest acting races. Emmy darling Tina Fey and Justin Timberlake both won for their stellar turns at the helm of this late-night staple. White, nominated for her over-the-top appearance as Crazy Witch Lady on "My Name is Earl," was one of those felled by Fey.

White won the last of her four prime-time Emmys in 1996 for playing an exaggerated version of herself on "The John Larroquette Show." She also contended in the guest comedy actress category for appearances on "Suddenly Susan" in 1997 (Carol Burnett won Emmy no. 7 for "Mad About You") and "Yes, Dear" in 2003 (Christina Applegate won for "Friends").

Women of a certain age have dominated this Emmy race as of late. Playing a little old lady with a twist on "Malcolm in the Middle" won Cloris Leachman the last two of her eight awards in 2002 and 2006. Kathryn Joosten won the guest actress Emmy twice -- in 2005 and 2008 -- for her role as the buddinsky Mrs. McCluskey on "Desperate Housewives," while Elaine Stritch won in 2007 for playing Alec Baldwin's big bad mama on "30 Rock."