if we make a mistake now

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Can one say
[color=red]a. Many lives are at stake if we make a mistake now.
b. Many lives will be at stake if we make a mistake now.
?

I am not sure if there is not a difference in the meanings of these sentences.
Maybe (a) actually means ‘many lives will be lost if we make a mistake’, and (b) means ‘many lives will be in danger if we make a mistake’?

Many thanks

2

I think you’re reading too much into a change of verb tense.

3

I’d say that a. indicates a condition leading to a fact and b. a possibility.