Push

A push occurs when the final result of a sporting event lands exactly on the point spread or total number set by the sportsbook. In this situation, no side wins the bet and the original stake is returned to the bettor in full. A push is neither a win nor a loss — it is essentially a tie between the bettor and the book.

Pushes can only happen when the spread or total is a whole number. For example, if a football team is favored by exactly 3 points and wins by exactly 3, the result is a push. If the total for a basketball game is set at 210 and the combined final score is exactly 210, both over and under bettors receive their money back. This is why sportsbooks frequently use half-point lines (such as -3.5 or a total of 210.5) — it eliminates the possibility of a push and guarantees a decisive outcome on every bet.

When a push occurs on one leg of a parlay, that leg is typically removed and the parlay is recalculated at the reduced number of legs. For example, a four-team parlay with one push becomes a three-team parlay.

Example

The Green Bay Packers are favored by 7 points (-7) against the Chicago Bears. You place a $100 bet on the Packers at -110 odds. The final score is Packers 24, Bears 17 — a margin of exactly 7 points. Because the winning margin matches the spread exactly, the bet is graded as a push. Your $100 stake is returned to your account, and no profit or loss is recorded.

Had the Packers won 25-17 (an 8-point margin), your bet would have won. Had they won 23-17 (a 6-point margin), the Bears would have covered and your bet would have lost.

Key Points

• Pushes only occur on whole-number lines: If the spread or total includes a half point (such as -3.5 or 220.5), a push is impossible. The half point guarantees a winner on every bet.
• Your stake is fully refunded: A push carries no financial consequence. The bettor gets their entire wager back as though the bet had never been placed.
• Key numbers increase push frequency: In football, spreads of 3 and 7 produce pushes more often because games frequently end with those exact margins. Bettors and books alike pay close attention to these numbers.
• Parlays are adjusted, not voided: If one leg of a parlay results in a push, the parlay does not lose. That leg is removed and the remaining legs determine the payout at adjusted odds.
• Buying half points can avoid pushes: Some sportsbooks allow bettors to buy a half point (for example, moving a spread from -3 to -2.5) at the cost of slightly worse odds, specifically to avoid landing on a push.