Live vs pregame
The two Positive EV modes — pregame and in-play — how live odds update, the live game status, and why live edges appear and vanish far faster than pregame ones.
Two modes for two kinds of game
The Positive EV tool runs in two modes. Pregame scans markets for games that haven't started yet; live (in-play) scans markets for games already under way. They share the same fair-price math and the same filters — what changes is the pace of the odds and how the feed keeps up.
Switch modes with the Pre-game and Live tabs at the right of the header. On a phone, use the mode selector at the top of the page instead.
Pregame
Pregame is the calmer mode. Lines move as news breaks and money comes in, but on a scale of minutes and hours, not seconds. Because of that, pregame refresh is yours to set in Positive EV settings: leave it on manual and press the refresh button at the left of the header to update, or pick an automatic interval of 10, 30, or 60 seconds, which turns that button into pause and play. The line under your stake shows when the board last updated. Switching between Pre-game and Live sets the refresh back to manual. The Date Range filter is active here, letting you focus on games starting today or within the next few days; the feed never looks more than seven days ahead.
Live
Live mode tracks games in progress, where every play can move a line. The Game Status filter becomes active so you can separate games that are actively in play from those temporarily stopped — between innings, at a timeout, during a review — when books often widen or pull their lines. Each in-play bet also carries a live game status — the current score and game state, with sport-specific game details when you open the bet. See Reading the positive EV table for what it shows.
Switching to Live starts streaming right away. The round button at the left of the header pauses and resumes updates, and on a keyboard the Space bar does the same. The line under your stake shows whether the board is streaming or paused and how long ago it last updated. While paused, the displayed bets stay frozen; press play to resume streaming, which loads the current board.
When you open a bet on a live board, it keeps its place in the list and its price and EV keep updating from the live market, even if the board would otherwise have dropped it. It only turns stale once its market no longer qualifies as +EV under your settings. A stale bet's price and EV turn grey, both on the card and in its expanded view, panel or full-screen page, so you can tell at a glance that it no longer qualifies. On a wide screen the bet expands in place. On a tablet, or a desktop with the parlay slip open, it opens in a panel on the right and the board keeps streaming beside it. On a phone it opens full screen and the board waits until you go back.
Why live edges move faster
Live odds update continuously — instantly for some books and within about four seconds for others. In pregame that is plenty: a line you see is very likely still there when you go to bet it. In live betting it is a tighter race. A favourable price can appear on one play and be gone by the next, and a book may suspend the market entirely while a point is contested.
Confirm live prices before you bet
A live +EV bet is only as good as the price still being live at the book. With odds moving every few seconds, always confirm the line before committing — and expect markets to suspend during active play.
The practical upshot: pregame rewards patience and a careful filter setup, while live rewards speed and a short list of books you can bet into instantly. For how to read the resulting feed, see Reading the positive EV table.
- Odds, prices, expected value, conversion rates, and profit figures shown are estimates based on the last data we retrieved. They can change at any time — confirm the current price at the book before you bet, as odds may move and entry errors can occur.