Push

A push arises when the final result of a sporting event lands precisely on the point spread or total figure posted by the sportsbook. In that case no side claims the wager, and the original stake comes back to the bettor in full. A push is neither a win nor a loss — in effect, it is a draw between the bettor and the book.

Pushes are only possible when the spread or total is a whole number. 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 sits at 210 and the combined final score is exactly 210, bettors on both over and under get their money back. This is precisely why sportsbooks so often deploy half-point lines (such as -3.5 or a total of 210.5) — doing so removes any chance of a push and forces a decisive result on every wager.

When a push strikes one leg of a parlay, that leg is ordinarily dropped and the parlay is recomputed across the reduced number of legs. A four-team parlay carrying one push, for instance, 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 wager is graded as a push. Your $100 stake returns to your account, and neither profit nor loss is recorded.

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

Key Points

• Pushes only occur on whole-number lines: If the spread or total carries a half point (such as -3.5 or 220.5), a push cannot happen. The half point guarantees a winner on every bet.
• Your stake is fully refunded: A push leaves no financial mark. The bettor recovers the entire wager as if it had never been struck.
• Key numbers increase push frequency: In football, spreads of 3 and 7 generate pushes more often, since games regularly end on those exact margins. Bettors and books alike keep a close eye on these numbers.
• Parlays are adjusted, not voided: When one leg of a parlay pushes, the parlay does not lose. That leg drops out and the surviving legs settle the payout at adjusted odds.
• Buying half points can avoid pushes: Some sportsbooks let bettors buy a half point (for instance, shifting a spread from -3 to -2.5) at the price of slightly worse odds, expressly to steer clear of landing on a push.