What Is a Push in Sports Betting? Ties, Refunds and Parlays

You bet the Packers -3. They kick a field goal at the gun to win 27-24, and you're not sure whether to cheer or throw the remote. That's a push. The game landed exactly on the line, so you didn't win and you didn't lose: the sportsbook gives you your stake back.

A push in sports betting is a tie between you and the book. It happens when the final result hits the exact number a bet was graded on, which can only happen when that number is a whole number like 3, 7 or 44. You get your money back, as if the bet never happened.

Examples of a push

The most common place you'll see a push is the point spread in football and basketball. If you bet a team at -3 and it wins by exactly 3, that's a push. The same goes for the underdog side: +3 and a 3-point loss is a push too. Our point spread guide has more on how those lines are set.

Totals push the same way. If the total is 44 and the final is 24-20, the game ended with exactly 44 points, so the over and the under both push. Any sports bet graded on a whole number can result in a push, including team totals and player props. A running back with a line of 60 rushing yards who finishes with 60 is a push.

Moneylines rarely push, because most games can't end in a tie. NBA and MLB games keep going until someone wins, and NHL moneylines usually include overtime and the shootout. The exception is a sport where a game can end in a tie and stay that way. An NFL game that ends tied after overtime is usually graded as a push on a two-way moneyline. Soccer avoids the problem with a three-way moneyline, where the draw is its own bet, so a 1-1 game means the draw bettors win and everyone else loses.

What happens to a push in a parlay

At most sportsbooks, a pushed leg drops out of your parlay and the rest of the ticket stays alive. The payout is worked out again without it, so a 3-team parlay with one push turns into a 2-team parlay.

Here's what that does to the money. A $10 three-team parlay with every leg at -110 pays about $69.58 back. If one leg pushes and the other two win, it pays like a two-team parlay instead, about $36.45. Still a win, just a smaller one. If every leg pushes, you get your $10 back. There's more on the math in our parlay guide.

A few books and promotions handle it differently. Some teaser rules count a push as a loss, and some "ties lose" promos say so in the small print. If a sportsbook doesn't spell out how it grades a push bet, ask before you place the wager.

Is a push good or bad?

Neither, really. Nobody wins money on a push, including the sportsbook. But a push isn't free for the bettor either. You tied up your money, you sat through the game, and you got nothing for being right about a close one. If you bet the favorite at -3 and the line was -2.5 at another book, that push was a win you left on the table.

That's why the number matters so much in the NFL. More games end with a margin of exactly 3 than any other number, with 7 next. A half point on either side of those numbers changes how often you win.

How to avoid a push

The simplest way is to bet lines with a half point. A spread of -2.5 or a total of 44.5 can't be hit exactly, so the bet always wins or loses. When there's a choice between -3 at one book and -2.5 at another for a similar price, take the half point.

You can also buy a half point at many books, moving -3 to -2.5 for a worse price, like -125 instead of -110. Whether that's worth it depends on the number. Off 3 in the NFL, it often is. Off 6 in basketball, it usually isn't. Our guide to buying points runs through when the extra juice pays for itself.

Pushes on Paid2Bet

On Paid2Bet a push is graded the way you'd expect: your stake goes straight back to the balance you bet from. Postponed and suspended games are refunded like a push too, and so is a player prop when the player doesn't play. In a parlay, a pushed or cancelled leg drops out and the odds are worked out without it. If only one leg is left, it pays like a straight bet, and if every leg pushes, you get your stake back. Teasers work the same way, and if fewer than two picks are left, the stake comes back. The details are in our grading rules.

Next time you see a line sitting on a whole number, check whether a half point is available somewhere on the board. It's the cheapest edge in sports betting, and most people never look.

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