What is a push in sports betting?

In sports betting, there are certain instances in which your bet can end in a tie, or a push.

If you are a novice bettor and have wondered about that very possibility, read below as we explain this sports wagering term and how pushes are handled by sportsbooks. 

What is a push?

Most often, a push — or a tie between the bettor and sportsbook — will occur with spread betting or totals betting.

For example, let's say you bet the Boston Celtics to cover the two-point spread in a matchup with the Miami Heat.

If the final score is Boston 130, Miami 128, then the Celtics win by exactly two points.

In this case, your bet is a push, because the point spread hit the exact number (2) set by oddsmakers. Boston needed to win by more than two points in order for your bet to hit.

Since you neither won nor lost against the sportsbook, you will receive a refund on your wager.

If the Celtics had defeated the Heat 130-129, Boston would have won by one point, and therefore, failed to cover the spread, which makes your bet a loss.

How pushes are factored in parlay wagers

Sometimes a bettor will experience a push with one of the legs of their parlay bet, a single wager made by combining two or more bets into one.

Let's say you created a three-team parlay, and one of your legs of the bet is on total points scored in the Tampa Buccaneers vs. Kansas City Chiefs matchup.

If the Over/Under is set at 57, and the Buccaneers win 35-22, then the bet is a push, because the total points scored hit the exact number (57) set by the sportsbook.

Because this bet is part of a three-team parlay, many sportsbooks, like TwinSpires Sports, will eliminate the leg that pushed and reduce your parlay wager to however many legs remain.

Your odds and potential payout are adjusted according to the remaining legs.

What is a hook in sports betting?

The best way to avoid a push is to look for points spreads or totals with a half-point, or hook.

Many times, sportsbooks will add a hook to prevent a push.

For example, the Over/Under on total runs scored in the Texas Rangers vs. San Francisco Giants matchup is set at 8.5.

If you bet the Over on total runs scored, you need both teams to combine for nine or more runs.

If you bet the Under, you need both teams to combine for eight or fewer runs.

Since it's impossible for a team to score a half-run, the total cannot end in 8.5, so the possibility of a push is eliminated.

Can a moneyline bet end in a push?

While it is rare, a moneyline bet can end in a push.

Most sports play extra minutes until a winner is determined, but in the NFL, regular-season games sometimes end in a tie.

Sportsbooks typically only offer a two-way moneyline on NFL games, in which you must pick one team or the other to win.

A tie occurred last season in Week 3, in a matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles.

Therefore, any moneyline bet on either Cincinnati or Philadelphia to win was a push.

In sports like soccer, where ties are common, sportsbooks offer a three-way moneyline, in which you can bet on either team to win, or the match to end in a draw.

If you bet Manchester United to win but the team ties with Leicester City, you lose your moneyline bet, because you had the option to bet on a draw, but chose to back Man U to win.

Similarly, in hockey, you can bet a three-way moneyline on the result at the end of regulation, or you can bet a two-moneyline on the result at the end of overtime and shootout.