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Good morning, students! In today’s class brought to you by MyTopSportsbooks, we will address an exciting new subject that is guaranteed to captivate your interest. This morning, we are going to educate you on push for sports betting.
We will look at what a push is and examine how it affects your points spread bets, your total bets, your Moneyline bets and your prop bets. We will look at what a push is in betting and what happens if you push in a parlay, among other things.
So, what is a push on an online sportsbook app? Many things will be taken into account, including betting odds, matchup and type of bet.
Let’s get started!
What is a Push?
Bets are a three-outcome proposition: win, lose or push for a sports bettor. A push at a sportsbook means there is no winner for the sports bet. It doesn’t matter what the sports event is, a push is a push! Soccer aside, very few games end in a tie (or “draw”, in UK parlance). A push can be common in a points-spread bet and a totals bet.
Let’s take a look at a hypothetical NFL push bet result.
Imagine the Buffalo Bills are -3 favorites over the Kansas City Chiefs. In order to cover the spread, the Bills must win by more than 3 points (35-31 or 28-24, for example). For the Kansas City Chiefs to cover the point spread, they must lose 35-34 or 28-27. In that instance, the Bills didn’t cover the point spread. Say the Bills win 38-35 or 27-24. The game would be declared a push on the points spread with no winning or losing bets.
A points spread bet or totals bet will end in a whole number, which creates the possibility for bet pushes. The possibility of a push is nullified when the number of points isn’t a whole number. Sportsbooks, casinos, oddsmakers or bookmakers will frequently add a half point (.5) to the line to create a two-outcome sports bet. If your betting strategy is to bet on totals or point spread, you want to bet on games with a half point added to eliminate the tie or push. In soccer, most common bets include the three-way moneyline, which lets you bet on either team to win or the match to end in a draw. Another option is “draw no bet” — if the game ends in a tie, your stake is refunded, resulting in a push.
Back to the NFL betting lines, for our example. If the game ends in a tie – after the overtime period – the result is a push. A bet on the Moneyline, the result would be a push, but there would be a winner declared via a points spread bet.
Push Examples in Sports Betting
The Points Spread
If the line is a whole number (say 3 or 7), a push can be the result. In our past example, the line is -3 Buffalo Bills over the Kansas City Chiefs. A closing score of 27-24 Bills would end the bet as a push.
Total Bets
A total bet is when you wager on the combined score of both teams in a game — often called the over/under. For example:
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MLB: If the total is set at 8 runs and the Blue Jays beat the Yankees 6–2, the combined score is exactly 8. That results in a push, and your stake is refunded.
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NFL: If the total is 51 and the Bills beat the Chiefs 27–24, the final score also lands exactly on 51 — another push.
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NBA: If the total is set at 210 and the Raptors beat the Celtics 108–102, the total is again exactly 210, resulting in a push.
In each case, if the final score matches the total exactly, your bet neither wins nor loses — it’s a push, and your original wager is returned.
Moneyline Bets
For an NFL game that remains tied after the overtime period, it is a push.
Prop Bets
Player prop bets often use over/under lines. If the line is a whole number, there’s a chance for a push. For example, if Josh Allen’s passing yards line is set at 300 against the Kansas City Chiefs and he finishes with exactly 300 yards, the bet results in a push — meaning your stake is refunded by the sportsbook.
Parlay Bets
If one leg of your parlay ends in a push — for example, a point spread or total bet lands exactly on the number — that leg is simply removed from the parlay. The rest of the bet continues as normal.
For instance, if you place a three-leg parlay and two bets win while one pushes, the payout is adjusted as if you had placed a two-leg parlay. In this case, your odds might drop from +600 to +260.
If a game is canceled, it’s also removed from the parlay, and you won’t be penalized — the remaining legs still stand.
Teaser Bets
It works the same as a parlay bet. If you have teased a point spread bet – up or down – and the final score plus teased spread ends in a push, the tease is dropped from your betting card.
Push Bets in other sports
In other sports, such as baseball, a rain-shortened game that has gone five innings is considered an official game. The Moneyline bets are considered action after the fifth inning (an official complete game for a rainout). Other bets like the runline, over/under, and game totals need nine innings played to be considered action. If nine innings aren’t played, the game is viewed as a push, and parlay push rules apply. Tennis pushes can be difficult; depending on the sportsbook rules, an in-match retirement may have to have a certain amount of games or sets played before the match is statused a push.
You don’t see a push on the final score for MLB bets because if the game is tied after nine innings, they play extra innings, with the home team getting the last hits. For the NBA and the NHL, a tie after regulation time sends the game into the overtime period, and in the NBA’s case, they play until a winner is declared once the overtime period time runs out. For the NHL, if the game is tied after the overtime period, they go to a shootout to determine the winner.
We at MTS want to give you a Latin lesson before we go. Caveat Emptor, literally translated, buyer, beware. Before you make a bet at a sportsbook, make sure you know the rules governing what a push is and how it is handled. You should review many different sports betting sites to find one you are comfortable with and understand the rules of sports betting.
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