Legal US Books Weigh-In on Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest

by Dave Schwab - 6/28/2021

It was not that long ago when the only way you could wager on entertainment betting props was through an offshore sportsbook. The rapid expansion of the legal US sports betting industry has changed the game across a number of different markets.

Competitive food eating contests are considered to be a sporting events by most avid sports betting fans. However, this category still falls under the heading of entertainment betting props at most sportsbooks both offshore and based in the United States.

Either way, Nathan’s annual 4th of July hot dog eating contest at Coney Island remains the biggest competitive eating event of the year. Even casual observers are familiar with the name Joey Chestnut as the most famous competitive eater of all time.

Over the years, he has dominated the competition in Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. He is also a part of the MLE (Major League Eating) organization. His first victory in this contest was back in 2007 when Chestnut consumed 67 hot dogs.

His winning streak remained intact until 2015. That year, Matt Stonie took top honors by eating 62 hot dogs in the allotted timeframe. Chestnut finished second with 60 eaten dogs.

This was his only loss in this contest over the past 14 years. He will once again defend his title at Coney Island this 4th of July. ESPN will cover the event live this Sunday starting at 12:30 p.m. (ET).

There will be more ways than ever to bet on this event across a wider array of legal US betting markets. Certain top-rated offshore books are sure to offer an expanded betting board of prop bet options covering both the men’s and women’s competition.

However, most of the action will still gravitate towards Chestnut winning the competition outright. Quite a bit of action will also come in on the prop for the OVER/UNDER on a new world record. The current record (held by Chestnut) is 75 hotdogs. That new world record was set in last year’s 4th of July contest.

Turning to the current betting board for Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest this year, the OVER/UNDER on total hot dogs eaten in the men’s division is set at 73.5 with most US books offering -120 odds for betting either side.

The betting odds for Chestnut vs. The Field favor the champ at -1400. You can bet the field at +650.

Miki Sudo returns as the reigning women’s champion. She won last year’s contest by eating 48 ½ hot dogs. Her nearest competition was Larell Marie Mele with 18.

The betting line for the OVER/UNDER in this year’s competition is set at 46.5 with a slight edge towards the UNDER at -135. The betting odds for OVER 46.5 hot dogs eaten by a female competitor is +105.

Sudo is an even bigger favorite against the field at -3500. The odds for betting the field in the women’s competition are set at +900.

Betting on the 2021 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest at a legal US-based sportsbooks is just another example of how far the entire US sports betting industry has come in just three years.

FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM are the three biggest books in the US with a combined market share near 80%.

By the end of 2021, there could be as many as 30 different states plus the District of Columbia offering legal sports betting in some form. More than a few states that have legalized sports betting through the legislative process are hoping to make their official launch in time for the start of the 2021 NFL regular season in early September.

Start:	November 22, 2024 @ 6:10 PM
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Legal US Books Weigh-In on Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest

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