Push

A push happens when the final result of an event lands exactly on the point spread or total the book set. In that case, neither side wins the bet and your original stake comes back in full. A push is neither a win nor a loss — it’s effectively a tie between you and the book.

Pushes can only land when the spread or total is a whole number. If a football team is favored by exactly 3 points and wins by exactly 3, that’s a push. If a basketball total sits at 210 and the combined final is exactly 210, both over and under bettors get their money back. That’s why books lean on half-point lines (like -3.5 or a total of 210.5) — the hook removes any chance of a push and forces a decisive result on every bet.

When a push hits one leg of a parlay, that leg usually drops out and the parlay recalculates at the lower leg count. 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 put $100 on the Packers at -110 odds. The final is Packers 24, Bears 17 — a margin of exactly 7 points. Because the winning margin matches the spread precisely, the bet grades as a push. Your $100 stake returns to your account, with no profit or loss logged.

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

Key Points

• Pushes only occur on whole-number lines: If the spread or total carries a half point (like -3.5 or 220.5), a push is impossible. The half point locks in a winner on every bet.
• Your stake is fully refunded: A push carries no financial hit. You get the entire wager back as if the bet never happened.
• Key numbers increase push frequency: In football, spreads of 3 and 7 push more often because games regularly end on those exact margins. Bettors and books both watch these numbers closely.
• Parlays are adjusted, not voided: If one leg pushes, the parlay doesn’t lose. That leg drops and the remaining legs set the payout at adjusted odds.
• Buying half points can avoid pushes: Some books let you buy a half point (moving a spread from -3 to -2.5, say) at slightly worse odds, specifically to dodge landing on a push.