What Is a Push in Sports Betting?

In this guide, I will detail everything you need to know about what is a push in sports betting, including how they impact straight bets, parlays, and specific sports rules.

What Is a Push in Betting the Spread?

When betting on the spread of a particular game, a push happens when the team you wagered on wins or loses precisely by the point spread number. Imagine you have placed a bet on the Celtics beating the Lakers with a spread of -5, but the game ends with the Lakers beating the Celtics 100 to 95.

As the margin of victory is exactly the same as the spread, the bet is neither a win nor a loss and the sportsbook will refund your bet.

What Is a Push in Betting Over/Under?

A push on over/under betting occurs when the total points, goals or runs scored is exactly what the sportsbook has set, which would then result in a refund for the bettor. In a hypothetical game where the Broncos are playing the Chiefs, there may be an over/under line of 21. 

If the Broncos finished the game with a score of 15 and the Chiefs with 6, the score would match 21, meaning neither over nor under had been achieved and the sportsbook would refund the bettor.

What Is a Push in Parlay Betting?

If a push was to happen on your parlay, the game in question would be removed from the equation and your parlay would include one less game. 

For instance, this could happen on a five-team parlay, which would then result in your parlay becoming a four-team parlay. If you made a wager on a two-team parlay and a push happened, this would then become a single wager on the one game remaining.

Here is what would happen in a five-team parlay:

• Ravens vs. Bengals

• Texans vs. Colts

• Cowboys vs. Eagles (Push)

• Cardinals vs. Rams

• Packers vs. Lions

As you can see here, the Cowboys and Eagles game has resulted in a push, so this bettor’s parlay will now look like this instead:

• Ravens vs. Bengals

• Texans vs. Colts

• Cardinals vs. Rams

• Packers vs. Lions

This will obviously equate to less money being made from winning wagers, but the player technically does not lose out on anything, as the game is removed from the parlay altogether.

What Is a Push in Football Betting? 

There are a few examples of how a push would happen when betting on ‘America’s sport’, but the most common would be betting on over/under markets. Here’s a hypothetical game and why a push would happen with over/under betting:

• Over/under betting: 43 points

• Score: 24-19 (total = 43 points)

• Result: Push

Another common type of football betting that could result in a push is point spread betting. Here’s a scenario that would result in a push:

• Spread: Patriots - 7

• Score: Patriots 27 Jets 20 (margin = 7 points)

• Result: Push

Some other popular football bets that can result in pushes are the following:

Just remember, if your wager results in a push, you will get your money refunded, which you can then use to bet on other games.

What Is a Push in Baseball Betting? 

Pushes can also happen when betting on ‘America’s favorite pastime’, and this will happen when a result lands on the number you bet, meaning that the sportsbook will refund your stake.

Here is a list of the most common situations in baseball and example bets that would result in a push and the bettor getting their money back:

How Sportsbooks Handle a Push

In most cases where a bet results in a push, the sportsbook will refund your bet, which you can then use to bet on other markets on the site. However, certain bets will not result in a total refund and may have a different outcome, while different sportsbooks will also treat push bets differently.

As mentioned earlier, when making a parlay, if a game ends in a push, some sportsbooks will remove the push game from the equation and pretend like your bet had one less pick. However, many sportsbooks will count the push as a loss, so I recommend checking a sportsbook’s stance on pushes and parlays before placing any bets.

In any case, you should always check the terms and conditions before you place any wagers to see how bets work, betting rules, and what the outcomes of games might mean for your bet to save yourself from any tears later down the line.

Is Push Betting Worth It?

At the end of the day, a push isn’t always necessarily a bad thing.

Yes, you won’t get the full effect of winning on your wager and getting more cash than you put in, but you will get your bet refunded, which you can then use to replace your wager on the site or for other purposes. The best thing to do is to check if a push will result in a refund, as if you’re expecting one and it doesn’t come, you may be royally disappointed.