By some measures, the showdown between Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi on Monday will be epic.
In an event billed as “Unfinished Beef,” the American and Japanese competitive eaters will renew their legendary rivalry after a 15-year hiatus. Facing off in a 10-minute hot dog eating contest to be livestreamed by Netflix.
But the oddsmakers suggest there’s little suspense over the outcome.
Chestnut, 40, is a -1000 favorite on BetOnline and BetUS, meaning one must wager $1,000 on Chestnut to win to make $100 – provided he does, in fact, win.
It’s easy to see why Kobayashi, 46, is the underdog.
Though he’s a six-time winner of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, Kobayashi said he has not competed in a hot dog eating contest in 15 years. At that same time, Chestnut has become almost unstoppable .
Kobayashi’s personal best is 64½ hot dogs, set at Nathan’s in 2009. Chestnut, a 16-time champion at Nathan’s, now holds the record of 76 hot dogs, set in 2021.
Epic showdown? Or a mismatch? Cook the hot dogs, heat up the buns and let the contest begin.