Live Betting Arbitrage: How Does it Work?

Pre-match betting, where you place a wager before a sports game or event starts, is probably the most common time to place a bet. This gives bettors time to analyze odds and lock in their bets before the action begins, without having to rush any decisions.

However, once the game or match is underway, live or in-play betting offers another exciting opportunity. As the name suggests, this form of betting allows you to place wagers during the event as the odds change in real-time. But can strategies like arbitrage betting, commonly used in pre-match betting, also be applied to live or in-play bets?

In this post, we’ll explore live arbitrage betting, how it works, its benefits and drawbacks, and how having the right arbitrage betting tools can boost your profits.

Contents

1. What is Arbitrage Betting?
2. Can You Do Arbitrage on Live Betting?
3. Benefits of Live Betting Arbitrage
4. Drawbacks of Live Betting Arbitrage
5. Live Arbitrage Betting vs Pre-Match
6. The Ultimate Arbitrage Betting Software

1. What is Arbitrage Betting?

Arbitrage betting, in a nutshell, is a strategy where you bet on all possible outcomes of a sports game or event across different sportsbooks. Why? Because by taking advantage of the variations in odds offered by different sportsbooks, you can guarantee a profit no matter what happens.

Arbing is usually done before the event starts because pre-match odds tend to be more stable than in-play odds. But is that the only time arbing opportunities can exist or is live arbitrage betting possible?

2. Can You do Arbitrage on Live Betting?

Yes, arbitrage betting can be done during live sports events. During the course of a game, odds move more quickly and sometimes more dramatically than they did before the event began. These fluctuations can create multiple opportunities for arbitrage betting.

For example, in a basketball game, the odds of a team winning might shift significantly if they fall behind by 10 points early in the game. In this instance, one sportsbook might be faster in changing the odds they’re offering for the trailing team, while another might take longer to adjust.

This would create an arb, which arbitrage bettors can jump on by covering both outcomes before the odds have a chance to change again. To do this, they could place a bet on the underdog with the higher odds at one sportsbook, while also betting on the favorite at another.

The key difference between live arbitrage betting and pre-match arbitrage is the speed at which you need to move. To find odds, identify arbs, make decisions and then place bets. In live betting, odds can change in the blink of an eye. Therefore, live arbing can feel like a race compared to pre-match arbitrage betting.

3. Benefits of Live Betting Arbitrage

But that doesn’t mean that you should write live arbitrage betting off, as there are a number of benefits. Let’s look at a few of them now:

1. More Frequent Opportunities:
   During live sporting events, odds fluctuate rapidly as sportsbooks adjust their odds to reflect what’s happening. These frequent updates often create more arbitrage betting opportunities than there were before the game started.
   
   
2. Potentially Higher Profits:
   In-play betting odds can fluctuate more dramatically than pre-game odds, creating larger discrepancies. For instance, in a football game, if the favorite team falls behind by two touchdowns early in the game, the odds for that team to win may increase significantly. If another sportsbook was slower to react, an arbitrage bettor could lock in a larger margin.
   
   
3. Access to More Markets:
   Live betting also opens up betting markets that might not have been available pre-match. For example in soccer, events like corner counts, total goals after halftime or next player to score might provide new arbing opportunities that are exclusive to in-play betting.

4. Drawbacks of Live Betting Arbitrage

While live arbitrage betting carries a host of benefits, it’s important to be aware of potential challenges too.

1. Rapidly Changing Odds: As well as being what makes live arbing profitable, the pace at which odds change can also be a downfall. Sportsbooks adjust live odds frequently and sometimes unpredictably, based on game developments which can result in a very tight window within which to place bets. If you’re slow to react, one side of your arbitrage opportunity may disappear.
   
   
2. Higher Risk:
   Because of the rapidly changing odds, there is a higher risk of only placing part of an arbitrage bet and missing out on the other side, which could potentially lead to a loss. In live betting, there’s often little time to check whether your bets are successfully placed and matched across different sportsbooks.
   
   
3. Lack of Preparation Time:
   In pre-match arbitrage betting, bettors have time to analyze the market and calculate their bets with precision. Live arbitrage, however, requires snap decisions, leaving little room for detailed preparation.

These drawbacks can sound daunting, especially if you’re new to arbing and trying to do it manually. Things can change in seconds, meaning you need to be on your toes and ready to act quickly, which can be overwhelming.

5. Live Arbitrage Betting vs Pre-Match

While live arbitrage betting offers exciting opportunities with its rapidly-fluctuating odds and potential for larger margins, it also comes with a number of challenges as outlined above. These factors can make the process overwhelming, especially for those new to arbing.

In contrast, pre-match betting provides a more structured and stable environment for arbitrage opportunities. Giving yourself a bit more time to find the right opportunities and then place your bets can make a world of difference when it comes to your profit potential.

And you can take this one step further by automating the arbitrage bet finding process rather than searching manually. How? With arbitrage betting software.

6. The Ultimate Arbitrage Betting Software

ProfitDuel has created the ultimate arbitrage betting software in the Dutch Matcher. This tool scans thousands of odds from all major sportsbooks available in your area to find the best arbing opportunities. Once you’ve identified an arb, use the built in arbitrage calculator to calculate the amounts you need to wager.

Thanks to the Dutch Matcher’s real-time odds comparison, bet ratings and arb calculator you can identify profitable arbitrage opportunities effortlessly, ensuring that you lock in your bets before the action starts.

And that’s not all you can do at ProfitDuel. Arbing is just one way to earn guaranteed profit from online sportsbooks. Matched betting is another method we provide that uses free bet offers and promos to guarantee risk-free profits. By converting these free bets into profit, you can consistently earn guaranteed monthly profits in the $1,000s, all thanks to matched betting.

Sign up today with our special new member offer of 50% off your first month off ProfitDuel Premium and begin your journey to guaranteed profits.