Push
A bet that ties exactly against the spread or total, returning the full stake to the bettor with no profit or loss.
A push occurs when the final result of a contest lands exactly on the point spread or total set by the sportsbook. Neither side wins the bet, and the original stake is returned in full. A push is neither a win nor a loss — it is effectively a tie between the bettor and the book.
Pushes are only possible when the spread or total is a whole number. 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 final score is exactly 210, both over and under bettors are refunded. This is precisely why sportsbooks routinely post half-point lines (such as -3.5 or a total of 210.5) — the hook removes the push and forces a decisive grade on every bet.
When one leg of a parlay pushes, that leg is typically removed and the parlay recalculates at the reduced leg count. A four-team parlay with one push, for example, collapses to a three-team parlay.
Example
The Green Bay Packers are favored by 7 points (-7) against the Chicago Bears. You stake $100 on the Packers at -110 odds. The final score is Packers 24, Bears 17 — a margin of exactly 7 points. Because the winning margin equals the spread, the bet grades as a push. Your $100 stake is returned to your account, and no profit or loss is recorded.
Had the Packers won 25-17 (an 8-point margin), the bet would have won. Had they won 23-17 (a 6-point margin), the Bears would have covered and the bet would have lost.
Key Points
- Pushes only occur on whole-number lines: If the spread or total carries a half point (such as -3.5 or 220.5), a push is impossible. The half point guarantees a winner on every bet.
- Your stake is fully refunded: A push carries no financial consequence. The bettor recovers the entire wager as though the bet had never been placed.
- Key numbers increase push frequency: In football, spreads of 3 and 7 push more often because games frequently end on those exact margins. Bettors and books alike track these numbers closely.
- Parlays are adjusted, not voided: If one leg pushes, the parlay does not lose. That leg is dropped and the remaining legs determine the payout at adjusted odds.
- Buying half points can avoid pushes: Some sportsbooks let bettors buy a half point (for example, moving a spread from -3 to -2.5) at the cost of slightly worse odds, specifically to avoid landing on a push.