Joey Chestnut will be back in action to defend his title at this year’s Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4 in Coney Island, New York, and oddsmakers have already made him a near lock.
In case you didn’t know, Chestnut is widely regarded as the greatest professional hot dog eater of all time. The 42-year-old competitive foodie has won Nathan’s July 4th contest a staggering 17 times. This includes his 2021 title win in which Chestnut downed a record-setting 76 hot dogs. The record still stands entering this weekend.
On Saturday, Chestnut will have the opportunity to retain his title and break his own record. 77 hot dogs seems like a lot, but if there’s anyone that can do it it’s Chestnut. After all, he’s the Michael Jordan of hot dog eating. Chestnut will have to endure a longer post-contest detox than he usually does, but “Jaws” will certainly try his best.
According to Action Network, Chestnut has a 96% chance of winning Nathan’s annual hot dog contest on Saturday. Those are staggering odds that are typically reserved for Gable Steveson’s UFC debut. On the flip side, Chestnut only has a 8% chance of beating his own record of 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
“Chestnut is priced less like a traditional favorite and more like a near certainty, despite facing strong contenders such as Patrick ‘Deep Dish’ Bertoletti, who won Nathan’s in 2024. The real suspense this year may not be whether Chestnut wins, but how close he comes to making history again,” said an Action Network spokesperson.
We’ll have to wait and see if Chestnut can make America proud once again as the country celebrates its 250th anniversary.
