Push

A push happens when the final result of a game lands exactly on the spread or total set by the sportsbook. When that happens, nobody wins the bet and your original stake comes back to you in full. A push is neither a win nor a loss — it’s basically a tie between you and the book.

Pushes can only happen on whole-number lines. For instance, if a football team is favored by exactly 3 points and wins by exactly 3, that’s a push. If the total for a basketball game is set at 210 and the combined final score is exactly 210, everyone who bet over or under gets their money back. That’s why books love half-point lines (like -3.5 or a total of 210.5) — the half point removes any chance of a push and guarantees a clear result on every bet.

When one leg of a parlay pushes, that leg usually drops off and the parlay is recalculated with fewer legs. So 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 put $100 on the Packers at -110 odds. The final is Packers 24, Bears 17 — a margin of exactly 7 points. Since the winning margin matches the spread on the nose, the bet is graded as a push. Your $100 stake goes back to your account, with no profit or loss recorded.

If the Packers had won 25-17 (an 8-point margin), your bet wins. If they’d won 23-17 (a 6-point margin), the Bears cover and your bet loses.

Key Points

• Pushes only happen on whole-number lines: If the spread or total has a half point (like -3.5 or 220.5), a push can’t happen. The half point guarantees a winner every time.
• Your stake comes back in full: A push costs you nothing. You get your entire wager back as if the bet never happened.
• Key numbers make pushes more likely: In football, spreads of 3 and 7 push more often because games regularly end on those exact margins. Both bettors and books keep a close eye on these numbers.
• Parlays adjust, they don’t void: If one leg of a parlay pushes, the parlay doesn’t lose. That leg drops off and the rest decide the payout at adjusted odds.
• Buying a half point can dodge pushes: Some books let you buy a half point (say, moving a spread from -3 to -2.5) for slightly worse odds, just to avoid landing on a push.