Hot dog eaters might actually be competitive this year.
Joey Chestnut is disqualified from the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest after a dispute with a sponsor, but the remaining contestants move on to new lives.
The early odds for the July 4th event have been released by BetUS Sportsbook, with James Webb being a slight -150 favorite over the other competitors.
This is a dramatic change from years past, as Chestnut has now won the contest seven years in a row and 15 of the past 16 times.
Chestnut was favored to win the tournament last year at -4000 odds.
In 2023, Chestnut ate a whopping 62 hot dogs, with Jeffrey Esper coming in second with 49.
Espers are given +110 odds to win this year’s contest.
Following Webb, Nick Wherry, who won 47 tournaments last year, is the current favorite to win, having won 45 tournaments and is +650 for the tournament.
With Chestnut unable to compete, this year’s parody of the tournament is shaping up to be the best in years.
Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Odds
| Eater | Odds |
|---|---|
| James Webb | -150 |
| Jeffrey Esper | +110 |
| Nick Wherry | +650 |
| Gideon Oji | 16/1 |
| Bartley Weaver IV | 16/1 |
Since Takeru Kobayashi retired after the 2009 tournament, there hasn’t been much competition in this event.
Chesnut and Kobayashi competed in multiple hot dog eating contests between 2005 and 2009, with Chesnut ultimately coming out on top of the two.
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For the past few years, it’s been less about whether Chestnut will win and more about how many he eats.
The over/under for Chestnut in 2023 was 73.5 hot dogs, but he easily fell short of that.
Chestnut holds the record for having eaten 76 hot dogs in 2021, compared to 62 in 2023.
