For the third year in a row, competitive eating fans have been denied the best head-to-head matchup in the “sport”.

Joey Chestnut goes for his sixth straight Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest title on the Fourth of July, seemingly unopposed due to absence of former six-time champ Takeru Kobayashi. Kobayashi has missed the previous two Nathan’s contests because of a reluctance to sign with promotion, Major League Eating.

Without Kobayashi, the 2012 Nathan’s is once again a one-horse race. Chestnut is a -1,000 favorite to win Wednesday’s annual event held at Coney Island. The field, which is composed of about 20 competitors, is paying out at a healthy +500.

Chestnut's toughest competition will likely be his previous hot dog counts. He broke the world record by eating 68 wieners (w/ buns) in 2009, which is a rate of 6.80 per minute. Oddsmakers have set Chestnut's over/under at 63.5 for 2012, with the Under priced at -139.

Books also have odds out on the margin of victory, setting the spread at 9.5 hot dogs. Last year, Chestnut was nine ahead of second-place finisher Patrick "Deep Dish" Bertoletti, who ate 53 hot dogs. In 2010, Chestnut choked down 54 dogs – nine ahead of runner-up Tim "Eater X" Janus’ 45.

The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is schedule to begin at noon ET. You may want to eat lunch before you watch.