Chestnut a heavy favourite to win 17th Mustard Belt in Nathan's return on TSN+
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Joey "Jaws" Chestnut is a heavy favourite to win his 17th Mustard Belt as he returns to the 2025 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Friday.
Chestnut is back in the field after being banned form the event last year and is listed at -1800 to reclaim his title at FanDuel. The field versus Chestnut is listed at +720.
Chestnut was left out of the 2024 contest after reaching an endorsement deal with a rival company, Impossible Foods, which specializes in vegan hotdogs. He has won the Nathan's contest 16 times, including every year from 2016-2023. His world record stands at 76 franks consumed in the allotted 10 minutes in 2021. Chestnut, 41, ate 62 dogs in 2023.
Patrick Bertoletti won the title last year with 58 hot dogs consumed. It was the lowest winning total since Chestnut ate 54 to win in 2010.
Bertoletti has the second-best odds among the competitors this year at +1000 and his over/under has been set at 54.5. James Webb is listed at +3000 with a 51.5 over/under and Geoffrey Esper is +3400 with a 50.5 over/under.
Chestnut's over/under for total dogs and buns consumed has been set at 70.5 at FanDuel, with both sides paying out at -112.
FanDuel sees Chestnut's record as unlikely to be broken with no competitor consuming more than 76 set at -430, compared to +290 on a bet of yes.
For his part, Chestnut said he is hoping to set the record once again this year.
"I think some people are putting the Over at 74, or 72," Chestnut told the New Yorl Post this week. "That’s high. Even though the record’s 76, it’s gonna be hard for me to push myself. I know like minute six if I have a chance at the record. I have a tendency to get lazy if I don’t think I can get the record.
"I would love to get the Over. I’m gonna really try hard."
On the women's side, Miki Sudo is also a -1800 favourite to win her fourth straight Mustard Belt and 11th overall. Michelle Lesco is the only other woman to win in the past decade, taking the 2021 title when Sudo did not compete while pregnant.
Lesco is +1600 to win on Friday, ahead of Domenica Dee at +2000, Tandra Childress at +4000, Katie Prettyman at +4500 and Larell Marie Mele at +5000.
Suto's over/under is set at 47.5 hot dog and buns. She set a new record with 51 consumed last year after winning with totals of 39.5 in 2023 and 40 in 2022. Lesco ate 30 and 3/4 hot dogs and buns to take her lone title in 2021. Her over/under is set at 25.5 for Friday's competition.
The contest is held annually at the corner of Stillwater and Surf avenues in Coney Island, an area of Brooklyn, N.Y.