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Quarantine Eating Challenge Odds – Joey Chestnut Heavily Favored

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in Entertainment

Updated Apr 27, 2020 · 7:50 AM PDT

Joey Chestnut draped in American flag
World champion eater Joey Chestnut is the -110 odds-on favorite to win the Quarantine Eating Challenge. Photo by Michael (flickr).
  • World champion eater Joey Chestnut is the -110 favorite to win the Quarantine Eating Challenge
  • Is there anyone capable of defeating the food-consuming legend in this April 17th event?
  • Check out analysis of the odds and picks for all the available props in the story below

During this shelter-in-place COVID-19 existence, everyone can relate to competitive eating champion Joey Chestnut.

Be honest now. Who hasn’t inhaled a box of cookies or bag of chips while wiling away the day binging on Netflix? Most definitely, everyone has found themselves staring into the open fridge if for no other reason than there’s nothing else to do.

However, just as playing endless games of Madden won’t turn you into Aaron Rodgers, scarfing down random helpings of comfort food doesn’t put you into the class of a world champion eater.

The world’s most adept food-devouring pros are about to remind everyone of that fact.

Major League Eating chairman George Shea has assembled the best of the best food-consumption superstars to contest the Quarantine Eating Challenge. The event is slated for April 17th and will be live streamed.

As would be expected, perennial Nathan’s hot-dog eating champ Chestnut is the betting favorite. He’s at -110 to chew up the competition and take the $5,000 grand prize bite out of the $11,500 prize pool.

A laundry list of prop wagers are also available for the event.

The competition will benefit a worthy cause. At least $20,000 will be donated to Feeding America, a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks.

Quarantine Eating Challenge Winner Odds

Competitor Odds
Joey Chestnut -110
Mat Stonie +350
Darron Breeden +500
Gideon Oji +900
Miki Sudo +1000
Michelle Lesco +1200
Nick Wehry +1200
Eric Booker +2000

Odds taken April 14th.

  • Where to watch: Major League Eating’s YouTube page
  • What time: Thursday (April 16), Friday (Apri 17), Sunday (Apr 19), Tuesday (Apr 21), Wednesday (Apr 22) at 7pm ET

The event will get underway at 7:00 PM ET. It will operate as a bracket-style elimination tournament.

The qualifying round requires competitors to devour two pounds of sliced bologna. In the quarter-finals, they must consume one family pack of Oreo cookies and a half-gallon of milk.

Semifinalists will be required to polish off 1.125 gallons (10 pounds) of baked beans. In the finals, it’s 10 individual cups of Ramen noodles that they must shove down their gullets in order to be crowned champion.

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When it comes to competitive eating, Chestnut is UCLA basketball from 1964-75 (10 titles in 12 years), the Boston Celtics from 1957-69 (11 titles in 13 years), and the Montreal Canadiens of the 1950s (10 straight Stanley Cup final appearances from 1951-60) all rolled into one.

He’s the last traditional dynasty in modern-era sports. Chestnut has won 12 of the last 13 Nathan’s July 4th titles. He’s established 51 word competitive eating marks since 2006.

Bet against him at your own peril.

Pick: Joey Chestnut (-110)

Quarantine Eating Challenge Fastest/Slowest Prop Bets

Competitor Round 1 Fastest Time Odds Round 1 Slowest Time Odds
Joey Chestnut +120 +2500
Mat Stonie +325 +1600
Darron Breeden +400 +600
Gideon Oji +750 +600
Miki Sudo +1000 +375
Nick Wehry +1200 +500
Eric Booker +1400 +250
Michelle Lesco +1400 +300

As noted above, bet against Chestnut and you’ll be eating crow. Two pounds of sliced bologna won’t be a challenge for a fellow who once scarfed down a world-record nine pounds and six ounces of pulled pork in 10 minutes.

Life in the slow lane isn’t as obvious of a bet. Booker looks like the stereotypical competitive eater. He tips the Toledos at around 400 pounds.

YouTube video

Lesco is a speed-eating expert. She holds titles for the fastest time to eat a bowl of pasta at 26.69 seconds, fastest time to eat a hot dog with no hands at 21.60 seconds, and most mayonnaise eaten in three minutes at 2,448 g (86.35 oz) – which is the equivalent to 3.5 jars.

Picks: Joey Chestnut, fastest (+120); Eric Booker slowest (+250)

Quarantine Eating Challenge Fastest/Slowest Over/Under Prop Bets

Fastest Time To Complete Round 1 Over Odds Under Odds
69 Seconds -120 -110
Slowest Time To Complete Round 1 Over Odds Under Odds
95 Seconds -220 +180

If someone tries to convince you that one of these eating legends isn’t going to consume two pounds of bologna in under 69 seconds, then they’re full of baloney.

YouTube video

By the same token, it’s not going to be someone’s day. One of these competitors will spit the bit and suffer the indignity of not being able to eat it all. Play the over on the slowest time.

Picks: Under 69 seconds (-110); over 95 seconds (-220)

Round 1 Head-to-Head Prop Bets

Competitor Odds vs Competitor Odds
Joey Chestnut -285 vs Matt Stonie +225
Darron Breeden -135 vs Gideon Oji +105
Nick Wehry -300 vs Eric Booker +240

Chestnut has won 12 of the past 13 Nathan’s title. His lone defeat in 2015 was at the hands – make that the mouth –  of Stonie. And Secretariat once lost a race. But he never did it again. In the past four years, Stonie has finished second, third, fifth and fourth in the Nathan’s event.

Breeden was second to Chestnut in the 2019 Nathan’s competition, consuming 50 hot dogs. Oji downed just 34. Wehry was just ahead of Oji, putting away 36 hot dogs. Booker’s best effort in the event is 27.5.

Picks: Joey Chestnut (-285), Darron Breeden (-135), Nick Wehry (-300)

Quarantine Eating Challenge Yes/No Prop Bets

Prop Yes Odds No Odds
Will Anyone Vomit? +800 -1600
Will Joey Chestnut Make The Finals? -175 +145
Will Matt Stonie Make The Finals? +180 -220

These competitive eaters train for this. Their bodies are honed to devour mass quantities. No one will be blowing chunks.

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Of course Chestnut will be in the finals. He’s the GOAT of competitive eating. Stonie, though, seems to have slipped down the ladder. He’s ranked #3 by MLE.

Picks: No vomit (-1600), Chestnut yes, (-175), Stonie no (-220)

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