Independence Day is the biggest holiday celebrated on July 4th every year, but this is also the day of the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. This has turned into one of the biggest and most popular sporting events of the year, and the legend is set to return to defend his title.
Joey Chestnut has won this event 14 times, and those wins have all come in the last 15 years. Not only is Chestnut the most dominant hot dog eater in the world, but there really isn’t anyone close to being a rival.
There will be a full field of eaters set to battle it out on July 4th, but the odds are set at -3000 for Chestnut to take home another belt. In fact, you don’t even have to pick another winner if you are going to bet against the underdog, as you can get odds on the entire field at +1000.
Coney Island is once again the location for this special event, and we are back to full capacity for attendance after things changed a bit due to COVID-19. ESPN will once again be carrying the event, and you will see hot dogs being consumed at a record clip and in record amounts.
Sudo Favored For Women
While Chestnut is clearly the best hot dog eater in the world, the women’s event appears to be even more one-sided. This event is set to kick off about 15 minutes before the men’s battle, and the top woman in the field is actually good enough to compete with the men.
Miki Sudo has odds set at -5000 to win the women’s competition, and you can get the rest of the field at +1500. There is actually a chance to bet on Sudo in a head-to-head battle with some of the top men, even though they won’t be competing at the same time.
Who Finishes Second?
Since it’s widely assumed that Chestnut is going to come away with the win in this event, you can actually make a bet on which eater will finish in second place. It’s not very often that this type of bet is available, but there are actually some solid options.
Geoffrey Esper is the favorite to finish in second place as he has odds set at -140 for that market. Nick Wehry is next on the list at +200, and James Webb is third at +800.
Watching Chestnut chase the all-time record will be the biggest story, but so too will be the race for second place.
How Many Hot Dogs?
The biggest question ahead of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest is just how many hot dogs will Chestnut be able to consume? Chestnut set the record a year ago with 76 hot dogs after getting to 75 the year before.
It appears that sportsbooks believe that Chestnut will be right around that number again this year as the over/under is set at 74.5 hot dogs. Miki Sudo holds the record with 48.5 hot dogs on the women’s side, and the over/under for her in this event is set at 49.5.
