Comparing The 2023 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Competitors

Comparing The 2023 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Competitors

The top competitive eaters will attempt to make history on July 4 by dethroning Joey Chestnut in the 2023 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. We’ll take a look at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Competitors, comparing their stats, hot dog eating records, and odds heading into July 4.


The world’s best competitive eaters will take a bite out of history at the annual hot dog eating contest on July 4.

The 2023 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest will feature another performance by Joey Chestnut, the greatest competitive eater of all time.

Chestnut is vying for his eighth consecutive victory and his 16th career Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest victory.

Are top contenders Geoffrey Esper and Nick Wehry biting off more than they can chew in their quest to dethrone Chestnut as the world’s best competitive eater?

Can Anyone Beat Joey Chestnut?

It’s no secret who the oddsmakers are favoring heading into this year’s competition.

The top online sportsbooks don’t seem to think the other contestants stand a chance in 2023. Chestnut enters as an overwhelming betting favorite with -2500 odds to win Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest 2023. Esper (+800) and Wehry (+1200) are next on the odds board but remain long shots to dethrone the defending champion.

Chestnut has won seven competitions in a row and 15 of the last 16 overall dating back to 2007. The world record holder for the most hot dogs and buns eaten in the competition, Chestnut holds the top-10 highest totals ever record at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Since breaking the world record in 2007 with 66 hot dogs, Chestnut has devoured the competition by continually raising the bar. He’s eaten 70 or more hot dogs and buns six times, including a personal best of 76 hot dogs and buns in 2021, which stands as the current record.

Matt Stonie was the last person to beat Chestnut. Stonie ate 62 hot dogs and buns in 2015 to claim his only career title and has not competed in any of the last three hot dog-eating contests.

Comparing The 2023 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contestants

Esper is considered Chestnut’s top competition and for good reason. He’s the only other contestant in the field that has eaten more than 50 hot dogs and buns in a competition. Esper has finished in second place behind Chestnut each of the past two years and owns a personal best of 51 hot dogs and buns. The No. 2 ranked competitive eater by Major League Eating, Esper owns +800 odds to win Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, giving him an implied 11.1 percent chance of pulling off the upset.

Nick Wehry, the husband of woman’s champion Mikki Sudo, is also among the top contenders in 2023. The No. 4 ranked eater in the world according to Major League Eating, Wehry has never eaten more than 44 hot dogs and buns.

Among the other competitors with a chance to dethrone Chestnut, James Webb (41.5) and Bartley Weaver IV (40) are the only other eaters who have eaten more than 40 hot dogs and buns.

Below, we’ll break down the ranking, odds, and personal record of each of the men’s Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest competitors.

Eater Ranking Personal Best
Joey Chestnut 1st 76
Geoffrey Esper 2nd 51
Nick Wehry 4th 44
James Webb 10th 41.5
Bartley Weaver IV 16th 40
Gideon Oji 7th 38
Adrian Morgan 14th 38
Darrien Thomas 25th 34.5
Derek Hendrickson 21st 32.5
Adam Morgan 15th 32
Ricardo Corbucci 12th N/A

Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest 2023 Odds


Comprehensive Betting Guides 2024


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