The Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4 will be a different iteration than those in recent memory.
There is no Joey Chestnut. There is no Takeru Kobayashi. There isn't even a Matt Stonie.
Most, if not all, of the names in the competition are unknown to casuals. With most names unfamiliar, one way to get an idea of the possible winner is to figure out who smart people are betting on.
“There is no Joey Chestnut this year, but that means there also isn’t a massive favorite," BetMGM trading manager Christian Cipollini said. "The Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest is wide open and may draw more action from bettors with its competitive field.”
The biggest liability for BetMGM is James Webb. He is the second favorite on the oddsboard at +200 odds at BetMGM. Webb is getting 72.2% of the tickets and accounts for 80.7% of the handle.
Webb is also the biggest liability at ESPN BET. He has garnered 36% of the tickets and 58% of the handle. The second-biggest liability at ESPN BET is Geoffrey Esper, who has received 33% of the tickets and 29% of the handle.
Esper is the favorite to win the contest at -120 odds at BetMGM. He has received 13.9% of the bets and 14.5% of the handle at BetMGM.
All of the other contestants have received less than 3% of the tickets and handle at BetMGM.
On the women's side, Mayoi Ebihara has received the most betting attention at ESPN BET. She has garnered 67% of the tickets and a whopping 91% of the handle.
