It is not often that we get to witness a living legend performing at the peak of his career. But this is the situation as Joey Chestnut prepares to chow down at the 2025 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Chestnut will make his highly anticipated return after being ineligible for the contest last year due to sponsorship obligations. He was banned last year but put on a contest of his own in a one-on-one matchup with rival Takeru Kobayashi. Chestnut put down a record 83 hot dogs in the unique contest.
He is back where he belongs on the Nathan’s stage this year and enters as a commanding -2000 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook to win the men’s division of the contest. There are a variety of prop bets offered as well, including head-to-head matchups, and for Chestnut to break some of his previous records. His standard over/under for hot dogs eaten is set at 71.5, with the over favored at -125 odds.
I like Chestnut to go over this total and like the +250 odds of Chestnut to consume 75+ hot dogs. His Nathan’s record is 76 hot dogs eaten, and he has tallied 70+ hot dogs six times. Chestnut has won the competition 16 of the 17 times he has entered.
While Nathan’s Hot Dog contest is a different stage, the 83 hot dogs he consumed in the one-on-one matchup last year cannot be entirely overlooked. Chestnut still competed in the 10-minute window and had a gear unlike we have seen in hot dog competitions in the past.
Chestnut is a man who makes the most of the spotlight, and the storylines are on his side ahead of this event. He is a star and continues to compete even when sidelined from the Nathan’s competition. Expect him to return with a vengeance this year, making the +300 odds consuming 76 hot dogs appealing.
