What is a push in sports betting?

The short answer

A push happens when the result lands exactly on the number you bet against. Nobody wins and nobody loses, so the sportsbook returns your stake. It is also called a tie in some apps. A push is possible only when the number is a whole number, for example a spread of -3 or a total of 47. At a half point, such as -3.5 or 47.5, the result cannot land on the line.

A void is different. A voided bet is canceled, usually because an event did not take place as planned, and the stake is returned. A push comes from the result. A void comes from the circumstances.

Pushes on spreads and totals

Take a $110 bet at -110 on Team A at -3. If Team A wins by exactly three points, you get your $110 back and nothing more. If they win by four, you win $100.00 in profit. If they win by two or lose, you lose the $110. The push is a quiet result, and it is the reason a whole-number line is priced a little differently from a half-point line.

Pushes are most common on key numbers, the margins that games land on more often than others. In American football, a three-point margin is one example, because of how scoring works. A line set on a key number has a higher chance of a push than a line set on an unusual number. The sportsbook knows that, and the price on each side reflects it.

Why a push changes the math

At -110 you need to win 52.4% of bets to break even if pushes never happen. When pushes are possible, some bets return the stake and do not count as wins or losses. That changes the break-even rate: you need to win slightly less often, because the pushes are neutral. The price you are offered already reflects the chance of a push, which is one reason you cannot compare a whole-number line directly to a half-point line at the same price.

Pushes in parlays

In a parlay, a push on one leg usually removes that leg. The ticket then pays as if it had one fewer leg, using the prices of the remaining ones. Take a three-leg parlay of -110 legs with a $20 stake. If all three win, it pays $119.16 in profit at a combined price of +596. If one leg pushes and the other two win, the ticket is repriced as a two-leg parlay, which pays $52.89 at +264. A push does not lose the ticket, but it lowers the payout.

Rules can differ by app, especially for same-game parlays and for pushes that happen on special markets. Check the app's rules page before you rely on this. The article on parlays explains the arithmetic, and the parlay calculator prices tickets.

Voided bets

A bet may be voided for several reasons. The event may be postponed or canceled. A player named in a prop may not take part. A market may have been posted with an obvious error. The app's house rules list the cases and the deadlines. When a bet is voided, the stake is returned and the bet does not count as a win or a loss. In a parlay, a voided leg is usually removed in the same way as a push.

The rules differ on a few points. How long an event can be delayed before bets are voided differs by sport and by app. Whether a player who is listed but does not play voids a prop differs too. Look up the rule for the exact market you bet on before the game, not after.

Pushes and the sportsbook's margin

A push returns the stake, so the sportsbook earns nothing from that bet. It is one of the few results where the margin does not apply. That does not make a whole-number line a bargain for you. The price is set with push chances in mind, and the margin on the rest of the bets covers it. The point is that a push is a neutral result for both sides, not a gift.

Mistakes with pushes

• Thinking a push is a loss. It is not: the stake is returned.
• Thinking a push is a win. It is not: you get only the stake back.
• Forgetting that a push in a parlay lowers the payout.
• Ignoring the difference between a whole-number line and a half-point line when comparing two apps.
• Assuming every app treats void and push cases the same way.

A checklist before you bet a whole-number line

• Is the line a whole number or a half point?
• What does the app's rules page say about pushes and voids on this market?
• If it is part of a parlay, how does the app reprice the ticket after a push?
• Is the price you are comparing against set at the same type of line?

Totals and pushes

A total of 47 with a final score of 47 is a push for both the over and the under. A $110 bet at -110 on the over wins $100.00 if the final is 48 or more, loses if it is 46 or fewer, and returns the $110 if it is exactly 47. Totals set on a whole number have a push chance that depends on the sport, because some scores are more common than others. A total set at 47.5 removes the push, and the prices change to reflect that.

Ties on a moneyline

A moneyline bet usually has no push, because one side wins. Sports in which a draw is a normal result are different. A three-way moneyline lists the draw as a third outcome, and a bet on a team loses if the game is drawn. A market often called draw no bet removes the draw: if the game ends level, the stake is returned, and the price is shorter than the plain moneyline to reflect that. The name and rules differ by app, so check the rules for the market.

A parlay with a push, step by step

Take a $50 parlay of three legs at -110 each. If all three win it pays $297.90 in profit. Suppose the second leg pushes and the others win. The ticket is repriced as a two-leg parlay and pays $132.23 in profit. If instead one of the other legs loses, the ticket loses, because a push only removes its own leg. That is why a push in a parlay is a small help and not a rescue.

When you disagree with how a bet was settled

Start with the rules. The app's house rules say how it settles each market, and most disagreements come from a rule the bettor had not read. If the rule is clear and you still think the app got it wrong, contact the app's support and keep a copy of the bet slip. If that does not settle it, the state regulator is the next step. We have not verified how each regulator handles complaints, so check your regulator's own page for the process.

Pushes over many bets

Over many bets on whole-number lines, pushes are a small share of results, and they return the stake, so they pass without changing your balance. What they do change is your count: a record of 10 wins, 10 losses and 3 pushes is 10 and 10, not 10 and 13. Keep pushes out of your win rate when you judge your results, or you will make your record look worse than it is. At -110 the break-even rate applies to bets that win or lose, so a push should be left out of both sides.

Reading the rules page

The rules page of an app names how it settles pushes and voids for each sport. Look for four things: whether a tie on a spread or total returns the stake, how a parlay is repriced after a push, what happens if a game is postponed and how long it can be delayed before bets are voided, and what the app does with a prop if a named player does not play. Reading these four before you bet is the best way to avoid being surprised by a result that is settled correctly but not the way you expected.

A note on terms

The words push, tie, void and no action are used differently by different apps. One app may say no action where another says void. What matters is not the label but what the rules page says happens to your stake, so read the definition the app uses and not the one you expect.

Words you will meet

• Push: a result that lands on the line, returning the stake.
• Void: a canceled bet with the stake returned.
• Key number: a margin that games land on more often than others.
• Half point: a line ending in .5, which cannot push.
• Leg: one bet inside a parlay.

Keeping it in proportion

A push can feel like a relief, but it is not a reason to stake more on the next bet. Decide your limits before you start, and treat any result as entertainment spending. If it stops being fun, open the responsible gambling page for tools and help, or call 1-800-GAMBLER whenever you need to.

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