NATHANS HOT DOG EATING CONTEST

ODDS - ANALYSIS - PREDICTIONS

7/4/08

Results are in - Joey Chestnut retains his crown - they went to sudden death and had to have a 5 dog overtime

There will be plenty of betting opportunities over the 4th of July Holiday weekend, but they won't be limited to baseball and NASCAR. No, the event likely to take center stage is the famous Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Odds have been posted on a couple of the most popular contestants as well as the field so let's take a look at the odds while we offer our predictions and analysis as well.

I remember the first time I heard the name Takeru Kobayashi. It was late at night and I was surfing the channels on my television. I ended up watching Jay Leno. Jay is always a funny guy, and he had prepared a short cartoon about a man named Takeru Kobayashi. The world had been flooded, and Kobayashi saved the day by dipping hot dogs in the water, and swallowing it all up. That was my first impression of professional eating.

Takeru Kobayashi is a six time world champion competitive eater. He is also a member of the International Federation of Competitive Eating. Kobayashi held the world record for hot dog eating for nearly six years, and is ranked third overall by International Federation of Competitive Eating. He has a few training methods, and techniques for competition. Kobayashi will eat bigger and bigger amounts of food prior to competition and combines that with some exercise prior to the competition. This prevents the fat from impeding his stomach expansion. He also known for shaking his body during competition. This has been nicknamed the “Kobayashi Shuffle”.

On July 4, Kobayashi will be competing in Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Like all good things in life, you can wager on the event. If you’re a fan of the Japanese phenom, you can double your money by wagering on him, as his current odds are 1-1. If your not quite impressed with Takeru, you could opt for hometown hero, Joey Chestnut.

In 2007 Joey “Jaws” Chestnut snapped Kobayashi’s win streak at 6. Currently ranked 1st by the International Federation of Competitive Eating, Chestnut’s ability is quite amazing. I can’t even imagine being able to eat as much as this guy. Chestnut has a record list too long to list. Among his record are eating 59 peanut butter sandwich in 10 minutes. He also ate 7 pounds of chicken wings in under 12 minutes. Another remarkable record he claims is eating 47 grilled cheese sandwiches in under 10 minutes. This guy must have a bottomless pit for a stomach. His currents odds are 10-13.

If you decide to go with the field at 3-1, you will get every other eater. Among those eaters are Sonya Thomas. This 98 pound phenom has been nicknamed “The Black Widow” for her ability to defeat men four to five times her size. She is ranked 6th in the world by the International Federation of Competitive Eating. You will also get the 2nd ranked Patrick Bertoletti. His list of accomplishments include eating an entire 16” pizza in 10 minutes, and eating a pound of chocolate in 7 minutes. Patrick also ate 21 pounds of grits in 10 minutes. How does these people do this?! Another eater included in the field is Timothy Janus. The 30 year old day trader is shattered the tamale record by eating 71 in 12 minutes. He was the 2004 rookie of the year.

Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest will be broadcast live by ESPN at 12 PM EST on July 4. Make sure to get your wagers in. While I am certainly no expert on food eating contests, I will opt with Takeru Kobayashi. The 6 time world champion lost last year, and should come back with renewed vigor this time around. I’ll have a few dollars on him at even money. Go get ‘em Kobayashi!!!