Push
A bet that ties against the spread or total, with the original stake returned to the bettor.
A push happens when an event’s final result lands exactly on the spread or total set by the book. No side wins, and the original stake is refunded in full. A push is neither win nor loss — effectively a tie between bettor and book.
Pushes are only possible on whole-number lines. If a football team is favored by exactly 3 points and wins by exactly 3, the result pushes. If a basketball total is set at 210 and the combined score finishes at exactly 210, both over and under bettors get their money back. This is precisely why books lean on half-point lines (such as -3.5 or 210.5): the hook removes any push and forces a decisive result on every bet.
When one leg of a parlay pushes, that leg drops out and the parlay reprices at the reduced number of legs. A four-team parlay with one push, for instance, becomes a three-team parlay.
Example
The Green Bay Packers are favored by 7 points (-7) over the Chicago Bears. You stake $100 on the Packers at -110. The final is Packers 24, Bears 17 — a margin of exactly 7. Since the winning margin equals the spread, the bet grades as a push. Your $100 stake returns to your account, with no profit or loss recorded.
A 25-17 Packers win (8-point margin) would have won the bet. A 23-17 win (6-point margin) would have let the Bears cover, losing the bet.
Key Points
- Pushes only occur on whole-number lines: Add a half point (such as -3.5 or 220.5) and a push becomes impossible — the hook guarantees a winner on every bet.
- Your stake is fully refunded: A push carries no financial consequence. The bettor recovers the entire wager as if the bet had never been placed.
- Key numbers increase push frequency: In football, spreads of 3 and 7 push more often because games regularly finish on those exact margins. Bettors and books alike track these numbers closely.
- Parlays are adjusted, not voided: A pushed leg does not sink the parlay. The leg is removed and the surviving legs settle the payout at adjusted odds.
- Buying half points can avoid pushes: Some books let bettors buy a half point (for example, -3 to -2.5) at slightly worse odds, specifically to dodge landing on a push.