diff --git a/server/src/ingest/scheduler.ts b/server/src/ingest/scheduler.ts
index 0a12df3..974bd1e 100644
--- a/server/src/ingest/scheduler.ts
+++ b/server/src/ingest/scheduler.ts
@@ -201,15 +201,16 @@ export function startScheduler(
     enrichTimer = setTimeout(async () => { await enrichTick().catch(() => {}); scheduleEnrich(); }, ENRICH_MS);
   };
 
-  // boot: map ids, then run the loops (odds first after mapping — line history
-  // is unrecoverable, so capture as early as possible)
+  // boot: map ids, then LIVE FIRST — the odds sweep can take minutes and a
+  // restart mid-match must not blank the live scores meanwhile. Odds use their
+  // own rate-limit key ('espn-odds'), so the sweeps interleave politely.
   void (async () => {
     await mapAllFixtures().catch(() => {});
-    await oddsTick().catch(() => {});
     await liveTick().catch(() => {});
+    scheduleLive(); // live cadence starts now; slow one-time sweeps follow
+    await oddsTick().catch(() => {});
     await backfillExt().catch(() => {});
     await enrichTick().catch(() => {});
-    scheduleLive();
     scheduleEnrich();
     scheduleOdds();
     backupDb(); // boot snapshot — the daily timer covers the rest