PredictVS is more fun when you play with friends. Creating a private contest takes less than a minute and gives your group its own leaderboard, trash-talk arena, and season-long competition. Here is exactly how to set one up.

Step 1: Navigate to Contests

From anywhere on PredictVS, tap the Contests tab in the bottom navigation. This shows all the contests you are currently in. To create a new one, tap the Create Contest button at the top of the page.

You can also find the create button from the Lobby page — look for the "Create" option alongside the contest filters.

Step 2: Choose Your Settings

When creating a contest, you will configure a few key settings:

Contest Name — Give it a name your friends will recognize. "Fantasy Football Rejects" or "Office Pool 2026" work great.
Contest Type — Choose between Prop Sheet (fill out prediction sheets before games start) or Live Picks (make predictions during pregame and intermissions).
Sports & Teams — Filter by all sports, specific sports (NHL, NBA, MLB, MLS), or narrow it down to specific teams. You can also choose which season and phase (regular season, playoffs) to include.
End Condition — Optionally set an end date or a game limit (e.g. "first 10 games"). Leave it open-ended if you want the contest to run indefinitely.
Privacy — Toggle private to make it invite-only. For a friend group, private is the way to go.

Step 3: Invite Your Friends

Once your contest is created, you will see two ways to invite people:

Invite Link — Copy the shareable link and send it via text, email, group chat, or social media. When your friends click the link, they will be taken directly to the contest join page. If they do not have a PredictVS account yet, they will be prompted to sign up first.
Invite Code — Every contest gets a unique code (like "HOOP-2026"). Share the code and your friends can enter it on the Lobby page to join. This is great for sharing verbally or in situations where a link is not convenient.

There is no limit to how many people can join your contest. The more the merrier — larger contests create more competitive leaderboards and more bragging rights for the winner.

Step 4: Start Making Predictions

Once people have joined, everyone makes predictions on the same games. Navigate to your contest, click on any upcoming game, and fill out the prop sheet. Your predictions count toward the contest leaderboard as soon as the game is resolved.

Each contest has its own Games tab showing upcoming and recent games, a Standings tab with the live leaderboard, and a Members tab listing everyone in the contest. This is your group's home base for the competition.

Step 5: Manage Your Contest

As the contest creator, you have a few management options:

Share the invite link or code anytime to add more members.
View standings to see who is leading and by how much.
Trash talk in chat — every contest has a built-in chat section where members can discuss games, celebrate wins, and roast each other's picks.

You do not need to do anything to run the contest day-to-day. PredictVS handles scoring, leaderboard updates, and game resolution automatically. Just make your predictions and watch the standings update after each game.

Contest Strategy Tips

Running a successful friend contest is about more than just creating it. Here are some tips to keep the competition engaging:

Set a reminder schedule. Send a message to your group before big games to make sure everyone fills out their prop sheets. Missed predictions mean missed points.
Create multiple contests. Run a weekly contest for quick competition and a season-long one for the ultimate bragging rights. Some groups even create sport-specific contests — one for NBA, one for NHL.
Celebrate milestones. When someone hits a big underdog pick or takes over first place, call it out in the group chat. Engagement keeps people coming back.
Add stakes. PredictVS is free, but you can add your own stakes outside the app — loser buys dinner, winner picks the next group activity, last place has to wear a rival team's jersey. External stakes make every prediction feel meaningful.

Ready to Compete?

Creating a contest on PredictVS takes 60 seconds and gives you and your friends a season-long competition built on real sports knowledge. No money, no complicated fantasy drafts — just pick games, earn points, and see who knows sports best. Head to Contests and create yours now.