How To Bet The 2020 Hot Dog Eating Contest

There’s never been a year where we needed the Nathan’s Famous Hot-Dog Eating Contest as much as 2020. Here is everything you need to know about betting the “fastest ten minutes in sports” — including the latest odds, noteworthy prop bets, and our free picks to make before July 4th!

Just like the contest itself, let's not waste any time and get right to it. Here are three bets you need to make ahead of the 2020 Nathan's Famous Hot-Dog Eating Contest.

Chestnut Vs. The Field

Since 2007, Chestnut has won the event every single time but once — 2015 being the exception when Matt Stone upset him. That's why betting on this year's winner is a simple yes-or-no question revolving Chestnut.

Will Joey Chestnut Win The 2020 Contest?
Yes	-900
No	+500

Yep, there's no point in trying to convince you Chestnut won't win again. After all, he is the G.O.A.T. of his "sport." While nothing is guaranteed in betting, Chestnut is as close as it gets to a sure-fire win.

Of course, we know those -900 odds aren't going to make anyone rich, but that's why we have two more bets to make — and perhaps you should parlay these together to maximize your payout.

Betting advice: Bet the house on a Chestnut victory

Can Chestnut Eclipse His Own Record?

There's a bunch of prop bets around what Chestnut's hot dogs' eaten count will be at certain points (e.g. at the first-minute mark or the half-way point). Personally, we'd rather opt for the final count once the dust has settled:

Over/Under Amount of Hot Dogs Eaten By The Winner?
Over 73.5 Hot Dogs	-120
Under 73.5 Hot Dogs	-120

The all-time record is 74, set by Chestnut himself back in 2018. Last year, his winning total "fell" to just 71 hot dogs. For further comparison, he has reached the 70-count four straight times, a feat he had had never accomplished before in his career.

We're taking the under here. Why? Because just like everything else in the world nowadays, COVID-19 has probably negatively impacted Chestnut somehow, someway. Maybe that's less training in the event lead-up or heck, perhaps buns or weiners just ran dry in supermarkets as people scavenged for supplies during the lockdown.

Betting advice: Under 73.5 hot dogs

Don't Forget About The Ladies

There's another competitor with Japnese heritage dominating the hot-dog scene — and no, it's not Kobayashi. No, we're talking about Miki Sudo, who has won the female event seven straight times.

Women's Championship — Head-To-Head Spread Winner
Miki Sudo (-6.5)	-175
Michelle Lesco (+6.5)	+135

Like Chestnut, Sudo is the odds-on favorite among online bookies to win once again in 2020. However, you'll get more value out of betting her margin-of-victory spread against Michelle Lesco.

Lesco has finished runner-up to Sudo for three consecutive years. However, she's slowly closing the gap between her and Sudo, who's actually her training partner. In 2017, the difference between the two was 14 hot dogs, followed by 13 in 2018, and down to just five a year ago.

In betting, you need to follow the trends, even when it comes to eating hot dogs. Our money is on Lesco to keep things interesting till the bitter end.

Betting pick to make: Lesco +6.5

Folks, that does it for our Nathan's Famous Hot-Dog Eating Contest picks. If you're looking for more event odds, then head over to one of the sportsbooks below.

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