You're not imagining it. The US books I use for comparison (DraftKings, FanDuel) are doing the exact same thing. They'll keep the spread and moneyline live but totals disappear after the 7th stretch on about 70% of games now.

The difference is they're way more aggressive about it than they were last season. I think it's because the late-inning variance got too expensive for them - one bad bullpen implosion and they're eating six-figure losses on a single game. Freshbet actually keeps their totals live longer than most, usually until there's two outs in the 8th, but even they're pulling back compared to April.

It's risk management, plain and simple. Books learned the hard way that late-inning totals are basically coin flips with massive swings. One relief pitcher gives up a grand slam and suddenly their O/U 8.5 becomes a bloodbath.

Here's what really pisses me off though - they're not consistent about it. Some games they'll keep totals live until the 9th, others they pull them in the 6th if there's already been 8 runs scored. No clear policy, just whatever the trader feels like doing that day. Makes it impossible to plan your live betting strategy when you don't know if the market will even exist.

The math backs up what you're seeing. I've been tracking this since early May across 847 MLB games. Here's the breakdown:

7th inning onward total pull rates:
- Games with 6+ runs already scored: 89% pull rate
- Close games (within 2 runs): 67% pull rate
- Blowouts (5+ run lead): 45% pull rate

The trigger seems to be volatility-based rather than pure inning count. High-scoring games or tight contests where one swing can drastically shift the total get pulled immediately. Blowouts where the outcome is mostly decided, they'll sometimes keep the total live.

30Bet has been the most consistent in my tracking - they use a clear algorithm that considers current score, inning, and recent bullpen performance. Their totals stay live about 15% longer than the field average, especially on West Coast games that go past 11 PM ET.

This is exactly why the provincial monopolies never bothered with extensive live betting markets in the first place. OLG knew that late-game baseball totals were a trader's nightmare long before the private operators figured it out.

The difference now is that books can't just eat the losses like they used to when crypto was pumping and customer acquisition costs were through the roof. They're getting surgical about which markets actually make them money versus which ones are just player entertainment that bleeds red ink.

Wait, so this is happening everywhere? I thought it was just the books I was using being weird about it. Last Friday I had a live bet ready on the Red Sox total (was sitting at 12.5 in the 8th) and the market just vanished while I was trying to place it.

Is there any book that still keeps totals live consistently through the whole game? Or should I just accept that live baseball betting basically ends after 7 innings now?

The trend is definitely toward earlier market closures, and honestly, it might not be the worst thing for recreational bettors. Those late-inning totals were often sucker bets anyway - the juice was brutal and the variance was through the roof.

If you're chasing live action, maybe consider focusing on the earlier innings where the markets stay open longer and the value is actually there. Setting a strict stop-loss for live betting sessions helps too, especially when you're dealing with these unpredictable market closures.

Pete, that Red Sox total at 12.5 in the 8th is exactly the kind of line that disappears fast now. I've been tracking this across multiple books since April and the pattern is pretty consistent — most offshore operators are pulling totals by the 7th inning stretch, sometimes earlier if there's been a big scoring swing.

The one exception I've found is https://linkshter.com/17/?affid=43804&hp=2&campaign=86ahkcutx still keeps their live totals active deeper into games, though the juice gets pretty steep after the 8th. Their algorithm seems more aggressive about adjusting the line rather than just yanking it entirely. Last Tuesday I caught a Mariners under 9.5 in the bottom of the 8th that hit when they stranded runners in the 9th.

Rebecca's right about the variance being brutal on those late totals, but for us live bettors it's still frustrating to lose that market entirely. The US books I can access from Vegas trips don't pull nearly as early — DraftKings was still posting Yankees totals in the 9th last weekend.

The Red Sox total at 12.5 disappearing on you is pretty typical now - I've seen the same thing happen on both sides of the border. What's interesting is the timing difference between US domestic books and the offshore operators we use up here. DraftKings and FanDuel in Michigan still keep some totals live until the 9th, but Tenobet and most of the offshore shops are pulling everything by the 7th inning stretch like clockwork.

The real kicker is that the US books are actually getting more aggressive about this than the offshores were just six months ago. Used to be you could find late-inning action somewhere, but now it's basically a race to see who shuts down first. The liability management on those 8th and 9th inning totals must be brutal for the risk departments.