- What: 2024 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest
- Where: Coney Island, New York
- When: Thursday, July 4 at 11 a.m. ET
- How to watch: ESPN and WatchESPN
Every early July, Coney Island is the place to be when it comes to some entertaining competitive eating. We're of course talking about the July 4 hot dog eating contest, which is an event that has been dominated by Joey Chestnut throughout the years. That's not going to be the case in 2024, though, which we'll have more on below. With that said, Geoffrey Esper is the favorite to win the 2024 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Will he get the job done?
That's what everyone can't wait to find out. Esper is a bit of an unknown to most casual fans, but he holds plenty of eating records. Last summer at the contest in New York, Esper finished in second place behind Chestnut - Chestnut won the title after eating 62 hot dogs, while Esper was able to take down 49. This time around, he has the confidence of being the top contender, but he knows that a loaded field will be there to try and make sure he doesn't win it.
| Hot Dog Eating Contest odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Esper to win | +150 | +150 | +150 |
| Webb to win | +175 | +175 | +175 |
| Wehry to win | +550 | +550 | +550 |
| Rest of the field | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
“I got a chance at the belt now,” Esper told the Boston Herald in a recent interview. "It’s still not going to be easy. There are three other guys who are all pretty close, so it should be very close. It just depends on who has a really good day, and we’ll see what happens. I'm just going to go out there and try to do my best."
According to the best online sports betting sites, which includes the reliable Bovada sports betting review, Esper holds +150 betting odds to win the hot dog eating contest this year. Plenty of analysts think he'll be able to win it all and finally take the throne as the top eater. It's going to be interesting to see if this will happen for him or not, but we're actually going in a different direction here, as we think a small upset will be on the way.
We’re just 2 days away from the biggest event of the summer! Come catch the Eaters feast in Coney Island this July 4th and see who brings home the mustard belt!🌭🏆 #NathansHotDogEatingContest #MajorLeagueEating #MLE #HotDogEating #ConeyIsland pic.twitter.com/d9cvIjhCIc
— Major League Eating (@eatingcontest) July 2, 2024
James Webb is our pick to win the 2024 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest
This time around, James Webb is our pick to win the 2024 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Webb finished in third place last year, but this time around he's hoping that he can surprise some people. As we mentioned above, Esper holds the top odds at +150, but Webb is right behind him at +175. There are other competitors in the mix, but we think it will come down to Esper and Webb.
These two know each other quite well and they also understand how close things are going to be. Webb, just like Esper, has plenty of experience and he finished with 47.5 hot dogs consumed last July. While neither of them weren't even close to Chestnut in 2023, they don't have to worry about him competing this time around. The door is open for either Webb or Esper to capture the glory and make some history.
Similar to Esper, Webb knows that this is a loaded field and that countless other eaters are hoping to make a name for themselves. With his +175 odds per the oddsmakers, including the BetOnline sports betting makers, Webb is a true contender and the belief is that he's going to be able to give Esper a run for his money. We think he'll be able to do just that and more, as he indeed is our pick to win the contest later this week.
Joey Chestnut won't be allowed to compete in the contest this year
In case some of you missed it, Joey Chestnut won't be allowed to compete in the contest this year. Why? Well, Chestnut reached a deal on a new sponsorship deal with a rival to Nathan's and Major League Eating, which caused some major issues. Then, out of nowhere, news broke that Chestnut would not be able to defend the title he has captured so many times. As you might have been able to guess, he was quite heartbroken about the news too.
Joey Chestnut has been banned from this year's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
Chestnut agreed to represent vegan brand "Impossible Foods" over Nathan's
More here: https://t.co/btK6yMFuhr pic.twitter.com/qEMSTE4bDl
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 11, 2024
"I was gutted to learn from the media that after 19 years I'm banned from the Nathan's July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest," Chestnut wrote on social media after the news of his mess broke. "I love competing in that event, I love celebrating America with my fans all over this great country on the 4th and I have been training to defend my title."
With Chestnut not making his way to New York this week, it means that Webb or Esper now has the top chance to become the first new winner in quite some time. This has been a competition that Chestnut has been dominating for nearly 10 years. Now, though, he's going to have to watch this year's edition of the hot dog eating contest from home, which is a massive bummer for him. Now, we'll all be on the edge of our seats to see if Webb or Esper will win, or if someone else will shock us all.
