In the world of sports betting, understanding the terminology can help you make the right decisions. Answering questions such as “what is a push in betting?” is a part of informing yourself on the jargon and concepts of betting.
Let’s take a look at that specific question. What is a push in betting? How does it happen, and when is it possible? Is it a good thing? All of these questions, and others, will be answered as we go further into the technical points, and we’ll also learn how to avoid a push if that’s what you want to do.
What is a push in betting? The definition
In the most basic terms, a push is when a bet neither wins nor loses, and the stake is refunded. And with that explanation, we can already hear the questions: how does a bet neither win nor lose? That’s a good question, and an important one to answer when considering what a push means in betting. So it will definitely make things a little clearer if we explain that pushes primarily happen in points spread bets and in over/under markets. A push will happen when the exact margin predicted by the market is achieved.
That explanation is possibly hard to get your head around, although not as complex as “What is arbitrage betting?”, so let’s be clearer. If you are betting on a team to win a game by more than seven points, and they win by exactly seven, you don’t win the bet. However, neither does the sportsbook – it is, to all intents and purposes, a tie between you and the bookmaker. As a result, typically, you will have your stake refunded and it is as though the bet never happened. We’ll cover some concrete examples in a moment.
Advantages
- No loss of stake
- Reduces betting volatility
- Can keep parlays alive
Disadvantages
- No profit
- Can disrupt multi-bet strategies
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Common scenarios where pushes occur
So we have the dictionary(-ish) definition of a push, but to understand what a push is in betting, we need to go further and see how it works in action, and understand when it can happen. Let’s look at some concrete scenarios:
1. Spread betting
This is the most likely place for a push to happen. Points spread betting is a system wherein one team is favored to win, and this is reflected in the odds offered by the bookmaker. A typical example would be a football match between the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns. The Eagles would be heavily favored, maybe by 14 points or more. For the sake of this example, we’ll say it’s exactly 14. So a sportsbook may set its odds as:
- Philadelphia: -110
- Cleveland (+14): -110
What does this mean in practice? Well, if Philly run away with the game and win 41-10, that’s a 31-point margin, and a bet on them will clearly have won. If the Browns make a game of it and it ends 21-13 to the Eagles, Cleveland has beaten the spread. For the purposes of the bet, the score is Philadelphia 21 Cleveland 27, so a bet on Cleveland will win.
Now, why does this matter? Because if Philly actually does win by 14 points, putting their opponents down by 21-7, the spread has been matched exactly. It’s 21-21 for the purposes of the bet, nobody wins, and that includes you and the sportsbook. This is the answer to what is a push in spread betting, and you will likely see your stake returned to your account and the bet voided. If you’re on one of the
betting sites that accept credit cards, you can withdraw your stake and put it down to experience, or use the money to fund a different bet.
2. Over/Under
In over/under betting, you are expected to decide whether the number of points, goals, touchdowns or some other marker will be “over” a set total or “under” it. So, for example, the Boston Celtics are playing against the Oklahoma Thunder. The sportsbook may set the over/under for Total Points at 194. It doesn’t matter for the purposes of this bet who wins and who loses. The total can be reached in any of a number of ways: one team wins a squeaker 100-94; it’s tied 97-97 after four quarters; or one of the teams thumps the other 117-77. All that matters for this market is the total points.
Now, if Boston post a 124-110 win, the total points would be 234 and Over bets would win easily. If Oklahoma emerges with the 90-82 win, the total points are 172, and Under wins instead. The push here would come if, and only if, the total is 194 – however the number is reached.
3. Golf
Here’s a situation that doesn’t fall into either of the above categories – one which might be replicated in other sports, but golf is the most common example. What is a push in betting on golf? It’s pretty rare, but it can happen when you are betting on a matchup market. Let’s say Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are both playing in the same tournament. You can back either McIlroy or Scheffler to post a lower score for the tournament. If McIlroy takes 273 for the four rounds, and Scheffler goes around in 275, a bet on McIlroy wins. If they both post the same score, it’s a push.
| Bet Type | Example | Push Scenario | Outcome |
| Point Spread | -3 on Team A | Team A wins by 3 | Push – Stake Refunded |
| Totals (Over/Under) | O/U 40 | Game ends 20-20 | Push – Stake Refunded |
| Parlay | 3-Leg Parlay with 1 Push | One leg pushes | Parlay reduced to 2 legs |
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What happens to your bet?
In almost all scenarios when a bet runs up against the push, it’s a very simple situation. Your bet hasn’t won – but it hasn’t exactly lost either, so the bookmaker voids it and nobody is down on the deal. There may be cases where this isn’t what happens – so it is best to check the terms and conditions and ask the sportsbook if you are unsure.
1. How likely is a push?
Here is the crux of the question: Sportsbooks don’t like pushes, and bettors aren’t exactly keen on them. So most
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will avoid them by a very simple method: they set points spreads and over/unders that aren’t whole numbers. Very often, you will look at the odds on a point spread bet and see that a team is favored to win by 13.5 points or 0.5 goals. So in the football example above, in the game that ends 21-7 to Philadelphia, the score with handicap would be 21-20.5 – and as it is impossible to score half a point, the push would never happen.
Not all bookmakers operate in this way, so pushes do still happen sometimes. But if you really want to avoid the push, just make sure you’re betting at a sportsbook that sets its margins without whole numbers.
2. How do pushes affect parlays?
Good question – and, again, it isn’t 100% uniform across all providers. For the most part, if you place a parlay bet, it will not be broken by a push. If, say, you bet on the Eagles to beat the Browns (+14), Jalen Hurts to score a rushing TD, and for there to be more than 24 points in a game, then the hypothetical 21-7 win we’ve spoken of above will void the first part of that parlay, but not the entire bet.
- The spread has not been beaten; that section is voided
- If Hurts has run for a TD, that section has succeeded.
- The total points in the game was 28 – more than 24, so that section has also succeeded.
In this case, the parlay has partially succeeded. It will pay out, but at a lower amount than it would have if the Eagles had won by more than 14.
Conclusion – how a push can affect your betting experience
It is worth knowing what is a push in betting. Pushes can happen across a number of sports and a range of different bets, but particularly in spread and over/under betting. And it is entirely possible to avoid them, should you wish to, simply by picking a sportsbook that offers spreads and over/unders that aren’t whole numbers. Also, remember, they aren’t the end of the world. A push is not a loss, and in time you can come to see a push as a way of preserving your bankroll.
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What is a push in betting FAQ
🤔 Is a push in betting like a loss?
No – with a loss, the bet is completed and you have lost your stake – you bet on something and it didn’t happen. A push happens when the exact total of a points spread or over/under has been hit, and you do not lose your stake. It’s basically as though the bet never happened.
💰 Does a push count in parlay betting?
A push in a parlay bet affects the result without sinking the whole thing. Effectively you will still receive a payout if the other parts of the parlay have been successful – but you won’t receive the same winnings as you would have had the push been a win. The push leg being voided, you receive a smaller payout.
🔍 What triggers a push in betting?
A push happens when the margin of victory in a game matches the exact margin that the favorite is expected to win by; when the total stipulated in an over/under bet is the exact total that results; or in matchup betting, when the two participants covered by the bet achieve the exact same result.
