You're Damn Right We Bet On Hot Dogs

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, 11:00 ET

I don't know about you, but I can eat probably about nine hot dogs in one day. I'm considering that if I can space them all out to three for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I could probably put them down. This time we get the biggest competitive eating competition on national television: The Nathan's Hot Dog Contest. I watch it every year. My wife gets disgusted by it every year. It is a tradition unlike any other. I have to agree with her, she is right that it is gross. Dipping the buns in water and barely chewing the hot dogs is gross. Soggy bread in general is disgusting. But, if the book is putting up odds, we are betting on it.

Don't bother betting on a winner option. The biggest name in the game is Joey Chestnut, and he is at -4000 to win the contest. It really isn't surprising as he has lost just once since 2007. He will chow down 60 dogs with ease. On the Women's side, Miki Sudo is also -4000 to win her contest. Sudo has won every year since 2014, with the exception of 2021... she wasn't part of the competition because she was pregnant. So, basically, don't bet the futures, you could maybe do the Men's outright without Chestnut, but the favorite here is Geoffrey Esper and he is still -300.

Joey Chestnut will once again take down the championship in the hot dog eating contest. (Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images)

Tomorrow is going to be about 80 degrees and potentially raining around the time of the competition. It actually is good for the competitors. The reason is that when it is too hot, they seem to not eat quite as much. This should be decent enough weather for them to get a ton of dogs down. Chestnut set his personal record in 70-degree weather in 2021. He's a different beast, but he did drop down to just 63 last year. One play I like here is Esper at +22.5 dogs against Chestnut. If Chestnut gets to 70, I think this might lose. However, I think that Esper is probably going to take down at least 50 dogs this year. He took down 47.5 last year and if he maintains the same pace, and Chestnut maintains his same pace, we cash this. This is the underdog side of the bet, but I think it is worth it.

Another bet that I like is Chestnut/Sudo under 114.5 hot dogs eaten. Let's assume Chestnut does get to 70 dogs this year, that leaves 45 for Sudo to take down in order for this to cash. Sudo has taken down 40 or more hot dogs just three times in the past eight contests she has participated in. There are a lot of possibilities for this to lose, of course. I've already mentioned the weather is good and both of these competitors are looking to keep their title.

I don't put a ton on these, just so you know. I do it for fun and hope that they hit. If they don't, I just go to the grill and eat hot dogs of my own and don't think about it the rest of the day. Hopefully, you all enjoy it the same way that I do. More importantly, I hope you all have a fun and safe Fourth of July.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on Twitter: @futureprez2024