# Novig for sharp bettors

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Canonical: https://novigapi.com/guides/novig-for-sharps
Facts checked: 2026-11-12

Novig suits sharp bettors mainly on price: pre-game straight trades carry no fee or vig, so a fair exchange price can beat a sportsbook line that holds about 4.5% at -110 on both sides. Under the schedule checked on 12 Nov 2026, live, futures and parlay takers pay a fee, so an edge must survive it. (Source: [Novig Help Center: Fees on Novig](https://support.novig.com/en/articles/16195057-fees-on-novig))

## Where the edge comes from

A sportsbook at -110 on both sides implies 52.4% per side, 104.8% in total; the book's hold is about 4.5% of the money wagered. On Novig, a pre-game straight trade at the market price carries no vig and no fee. If the fair probability of a side is 50%, you pay 50 cents on Novig versus an effective 52.4 cents at the book. That gap is the whole reason sharps care about exchanges.

## Fee-adjusted break-evens

Break-even win rate on a side with a 50% fair price (calculated from published fees, 12 Nov 2026)

| Where and how | All-in price | Break-even |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sportsbook at -110 | 52.4% | 52.4% |
| Novig pre-game, taking | 50.0% | 50.0% |
| Novig pre-game, making | 50.0% | 50.0% |
| Novig live, taking (0.06) | 51.5% | 51.5% |
| Novig live, making, credit included | 49.6% | 49.6% |
| Novig parlay leg pricing (0.10) | fair + 0.10 x P x (1 - P) | Depends on the combination |


```
EV per contract = fair probability - (price + fee) + credit
```
Fee is 0.06 x P x (1 - P) for live or futures takers, zero pre-game; credit is 25% of that fee for live makers and 50% for futures makers since 22 Oct 2026.

## Make or take

Pre-game, taking costs nothing extra, so the question is only whether the resting price beats your fair number. In-game, taking costs up to 1.5 cents a contract at 50%, while making costs nothing and earns a quarter of the taker's fee. Making has its own cost: every go-live voids resting orders, and stale quotes get picked off when news breaks. The [market making guide](https://novigapi.com/guides/novig-market-making) covers that trade-off.

## Liquidity and spreads

Zero vig does not mean zero cost. On a thin market the best prices on the two sides can sum well above 100%, which is a spread you pay by crossing it. Add the prices you would actually pay on both sides before you take. Large orders can also sweep several price levels; Novig charges the fee on the volume-weighted average price, but you still pay the worse levels.

## Fair prices and closing line value

1. Build a fair price by removing the margin from sharp sportsbook lines with the [no-vig calculator](https://novigapi.com/no-vig-calculator).
2. Compare it with Novig's executable price, plus any fee from the [fee calculator](https://novigapi.com/novig-fee-calculator).
3. Record the price at which you traded and the closing price, then measure closing line value over many trades rather than judging single results.

## Where Novig is weaker

Sharps also need size and coverage. Exchange depth varies by sport and market, so a price that is good for $50 may not be there for $5,000. Live fees eat into small in-game edges. And availability depends on your location, with Arizona, Michigan and Nevada excluded and legal challenges pending in other states.

## Account limits

Novig's blog says it never limits winning accounts, in a comparison where it lists sportsbooks as limiting sharp players. Because you trade against other users rather than Novig, there is less reason for the exchange to restrict winners, but the no-limits statement is Novig's own claim and we could not verify it independently. Each person may hold only one account, and Novig's maker program bans wash and prearranged trades.

## Props and parlays for sharps

Protected NFL props price in a lower payout for the second-half safety net, which changes their fair value relative to the standard market; compare them with the standard book rather than assuming they are the same bet. Parlays are quoted by liquidity providers with a 0.10 fee inside the price, so correlated-leg edges have to beat both the makers' pricing and the fee.

## Data for testing ideas

Novig publishes free daily CSVs at data.novig.com, starting 3 Aug 2026, with one row per market per day and no player or team names. For backtests that need names or intraday movement, [the Novig data API](https://novigapi.com/novig-api) is an independent, read-only layer on top: no Novig account, names resolved, intraday line history from its own snapshots, fair prices and closing line value.

## Questions

### Does Novig limit winning players?

Novig's blog says it never limits winning accounts. That is Novig's claim; we found no independent way to verify it. You trade against other users, not the exchange.

### Is it better to make or take on Novig?

Pre-game the cost is the same, so take when the resting price beats your fair number. In-game, makers pay nothing and earn a 25% credit while takers pay up to 1.5 cents a contract, but resting orders are voided at go-live.

### How do I compare Novig prices with a sportsbook?

Remove the margin from the sportsbook line to get a fair probability, then compare it with Novig's executable price plus any taker fee. If Novig's all-in price is lower, the exchange is cheaper.

### Where can I get historical Novig prices?

Novig publishes free daily CSVs at data.novig.com from 3 Aug 2026. They carry daily open, high, low and close but no player or team names.

## Sources

- [Novig Help Center: Fees on Novig](https://support.novig.com/en/articles/16195057-fees-on-novig)
- [Novig API docs: Trading fees](https://docs.novig.com/api/concepts/fees)
- [Novig docs: Maker Credit Program](https://docs.novig.com/maker-credit-program)
- [Novig public data: markets.csv](https://docs.novig.com/public-data/markets)
- [Novig blog: Best moneyline betting sites in 2026](https://novig.com/blog/best-moneyline-betting-sites-in-2026)
- [OddsShopper: Novig odds format change (27 Aug 2026)](https://www.oddsshopper.com/articles/prediction-markets/novig-odds-format-change)

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