Before you go take a dip in the pool or find a place to watch the fireworks on July 4th, sit down with the family and watch the 96th annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. This eating contest has been going since July 4, 1916! The hot dog eating contest has been big for the betting public since ESPN has been showing it live. The defending champion is Joey “Jaws” Chestnut and “Jaws” has won this event four years straight and I don’t see anybody else beating him since Takeru Kobayashi will not compete again this year. Kobayashi refuses to sign a contract with Major League Eating, and without him my predictions say this contest should be all Chestnut’s to win with ease.

Three to four types of prop bets out there on this contest and I’m going to give not ONE free prediction but TWO free predictions for the Hot Dog Eating Contest. Most online Web sites will have odds out and so far online casinos have the same three or four  prop bets for this July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest.

These are the prop bets and odds:

2011 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest – Who will eat more hot dogs?
Joey Chestnut (-9 ½ -130)
The Field (+9 ½ +110)

2011 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest – Who will eat more hot dogs?
Joey Chestnut (-500)
The Field (+300)

2011 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest – Sonya Thomas vs. The Field (female eaters)?
Sonya Thomas (-4 ½ -135)
The Field (female) (+4 ½  +105)

2011 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest – Total Hot Dogs Eaten by Joey Chestnut?
Over  60 ½ +100
Under  60 ½  -120

My free predictions are here. First free winner, take ‘The Field’ +9 ½ on who will eat more dogs. No one in this competition will push Joey Chestnut, so look for him to be on cruise control, and we see ‘Jaws’ winning this event by 6-8 hot dogs. Second free prediction: take the ‘under’ 60 ½ total hot dogs eaten by Joey Chestnut. Last year Chestnut ate only 54 hot dogs, and again no one will push him to the limit. I will be shocked to see him eat more than 60 hot dogs. My guess Joey ‘Jaws’ Chestnut will eat between 56-58 hot dogs.