Move over traditional athletics, The Fourth of July features the fastest 10 minutes in sports: The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, where contestants devour as many hot dogs as they can within 10 minutes, in front of thousands of impressed - and equally disgusted - fans at Coney Island. **video
The victors receive $10,000, a fancy championship belt (mustard yellow for the men's champ) and bragging rights.
Overseas books are once again taking odds for the winner of both the men's and women's competitions (legal U.S. sportsbooks are not approved to take action) and there's a pair of heavy betting favorites in Joey Chestnut and and Miki Sudo. We break down your betting options for this sensational spectacle under The Stars and Stripes.
Bill Russell's 11 NBA championships might seem impressive, but the Celtics legend needed 13 seasons to win those titles while Joey Chestnut has been crowned 11 times in the last 12 years. Just check out his intro in the first minute of this video. Chestnut's an absolute legend.
With two minutes left in last year's contest, Chesnut had a huge lead of approximately 20 hot dogs. What would you do if you had a massive lead like that and already owned the world record? I know what I would do, I'd slow down and coast to the finish line, maybe even chew and enjoy a hotdog or two (if that's possible any more). Not Chestnut, who picked up the pace and broke his own world record with 74 hot dogs. This guy has the heart of a champion, and just below that, the stomach of a champion.
The only other competitor to win in the last 12 years is Matt "Megatoad" Stonie who edged Chestnut 62-60 in 2015. But Stonie has eaten fewer and fewer dogs in each competition since then, topping at a mere 40 dogs last year. Stonie seems more interested on increasing his substantial amount of YouTube followers (a video of him finishing a Happy Meal in 15 seconds has gotten almost 25 million views) than regaining this championship.
If you think these competitive eaters aren't athletes, keep in mind that William "The Refrigerator" Perry, the 300-plus-pound former Super Bowl winner, took part in the contest on Coney Island in 2003. He tapped out halfway through after eating just four dogs, although he did eat a somewhat more respectable 12 dogs during qualifiers.
Probably the only competitor in the world who could give Chestnut a run for his money is Takeru Kobayashi, who is once again absent from the field at Coney Island this July 4. Before the 132-pound Kobayashi (seriously this guy is practically Jughead) arrived on the scene in 2001, the record was 25 hot dogs eaten. Kobayashi hit the half-century mark, then went on to break his own record three more times while winning the contest six consecutive times from 2001-2006.
However, Kobayashi hasn't competed in the Nathan's since 2009, when he lost 68-64.5 to Chestnut. The gifted gorger refused to sign an exclusive contract with Major League Eating (yes, this is a real thing), the official sanctioning body for the event, and hasn't been able to get a rematch.
In lieu of seeing Kobayashi compete against Chestnut in a dream matchup more anticipated than Pacquiao/Mayweather, this is a one-horse race. Chestnut is an overwhelming favorite to win at -1,111, while taking the field (literally ANYONE else to win) pays out at +721 at Pinnacle.com.
In the women's competition, Miki Sudo has claimed five straight championships and devoured 37 hot dogs last year to win by nine. Sudo once ate 170 wings in 12 minutes to finish in second-place at the National Buffalo Wing Eating Competition. There were no gender divisions in that contest, and she was runner-up to Chestnut. She set the women's world record with 41 hot dogs in 2017.
Sudo has -1,099 odds to win and taking the field is installed at +716 at Pinnacle.com.
The most interesting bets might be the Over/Under on the amount of hot dogs eaten by the winners. In the men's competition that total is 73.5, and as insane as that number sounds, keep in mind that Chestnut ate 74 last year and has broke his own record in each of the previous three years. The O/U for the women is 38.5.
The Women's competition starts at 10:45 am E.T. and the men touch the plates at noon.
Here are the odds for the 2019 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
Joey Chestnut to win Men's Contest?
Yes (-1,111)
No (+721)
Hotdogs eaten by Men's Winner?
Over 73.5 (+115)
Under 73.5 (-134)
Miki Sudo to win Women's Contest?
Yes (-1,099)
No (+716)
Hotdogs eaten by Women's Winner?
Over 38.5 (-102)
Under 38.5 (-128)
SEE WHERE YOU CAN WAGER ON THIS FOURTH OF JULY TRADITION IN OUR WHERE TO BET SECTION
