There are few things more ridiculous to do on a holiday than watch people shove wet hot dogs in their mouths. But that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy it.
We can also wager on it.
You can bet on the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Yes, that’s correct. Michigan online sports bettors can pull up their BetMGM or Caesars app, and place a bet on how many hot dogs Joey Chestnut will manage to swallow Monday.
The good news is that it’s approved by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, meaning it’s safe and legal. The bad news is that you may end up with two reasons to be sick while watching.
Betting on the hot dog eating contest
Odds on the hot dog eating contest could be found at seven Michigan online sportsbooks as of Friday. BetMGM Michigan Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook MI, BetRivers Sportsbook MI, TwinSpires Sportsbook, Four Winds Sportsbook and PlayGunLake/Parx Sportsbook all had at least one bet listed for the event.
The easiest way to find them is to search “hot dog” on the sportsbooks that feature a search function. If not, some list the market under “TV/Novelty“.
Some of those sportsbooks are simply offering a chance to bet on the men’s winner. Chestnut, the 14-time champion, is a massive favorite, listed as high as -5000.
BetMGM and Caesars each list Chestnut at -3000, with the field at +1000. BetRivers is one of the sportsbooks offering odds on other eaters, with Geoffrey Esper listed as Chestnut’s biggest threat at +1000. BetMGM also has women’s odds listed, with Miki Sudo listed as a -5000 favorite. The field is +1100.
Unless you expect a Buster Douglas-level upset, those bets may not be worth your time.
Totals, however, could be. BetMGM has set the total for Chestnut at 74.5, with the odds slightly favoring the over (-140 as of Friday). Sudo’s total, meanwhile, is set at 45, with the over at -105 and the under -125.
Caesars also offers a total of 74.5 in the men’s contest, but that’s for the winner, not Chestnut specifically.
How to watch Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Championship
The hot dog eating contest will air on ESPN’s family of networks with coverage beginning at 10:45 a.m. ET on Monday, July 4. That’s when the women’s competition is schedule to begin, and it will be carried on ESPN3.
Chestnut and the rest of the men’s field will start at noon, and it will air on ESPNEWS. ESPN3 will feature isocams on favorites Chestnut and Sudo, so you can watch every one of those hot dogs go down on their way to hitting the over.
Hot dog eating contest key facts
Chestnut is the king of competitive eating, and the most well-known name in the sport. He’s won the Mustard Belt 14 times in the past 15 years. He was second to Matthew Stonie in 2015, but has eaten 70 or more dogs each year since, including a record 76 in 2021.
The women’s competition started in 2011, with Sonya Thomas winning the first three titles.
Since then, however, Sudo has been the dominant force in women’s competitive eating. She won seven straight titles from 2014-20, and did not compete in 2021 because she was pregnant.
Sudo holds the women’s competition record, eating 48.5 hot dogs in 2020.
Michelle Lesco is the defending champion, winning the 2021 competition with 30.75 hot dogs.
