What Is a Push in Sports Betting?
A “push” is the tie of sports betting, and it usually means you get your money back but no winnings.
We’ll cover basic examples of different types of pushes in sports betting like spread bets and over-under.
But let’s also cover a few less understood push bets, including “no push” bets, and what happens if you have a parlay bet with one leg that pushes.
We’ll also finish out with some tips to boost your gambling winnings.
Spread Betting Push
You can actually get a push when you bet on the spread. Consider the spread;
- New England – 6
- The Patriots + 6
You will get a push for the above bet if you bet on New England winning, and they end up beating the patriots by exactly 6 points.
Over/Under Betting Push
Typically, an over/under bet will never end in a push, as most points and goals are expressed in decimals. Examples are
- Over 4.5
- Under 5.5
Teams definitely don’t get points and goals in decimals, so the possibility of an over/under bet push is unlikely.
In rare cases, though, there could be the possibility of a push when the point or goal is not expressed in decimal. You will seldom get this option from a sportsbook.
What if there is a push in a parlay bet?
Now you know what a push is, but what if you have a parlay where there are multiple bets and one pushes?
Does a push bet lose a parlay?
The short answer is no. A push bet does not lose your parlay. Instead, it’s treated like that “leg” of the bet was never part of your parlay. Let’s show an example:
Let’s say it’s NFL Sunday and you pick the Vikings, Rams, and Seahawks to win. The Seahawks and Rams win their games, but the Vikings tie. The sportsbook will recalculate your odds like the Vikings winning wasn’t part of your parlay. So you will still win, but the payout will be winning the 2-leg parlay, instead of the 3-leg parlay you started with.
P.S. If you’re a little confused about what a parlay is (or even if you know what it is… it helps to learn the strategies), read our article is a parlay bet worth it.
What Does 3 Way No Push Mean?
Most Sports and bet events will offer you a 2-way line: home team wins or away team wins. However, there are some with 3-way lines with the options for betting on the home team, away team, or draw.
This type of bet is called a “3-way no push” because there are 3 options to bet, and there is no longer an option to push or tie your bet. In other words, you will either win your bet or lose, but there’s no option to tie and get your bet money back.
You should be rewarded for 3-way no push bets by getting slightly increased odds or payout. It’s only fair since if a tie happens you now lose your money instead of getting it back.
Spread Betting No Push
Spread betting will only have a no push option if you get a sportsbook that offers points in decimals. This is a rare case and is not very rewarding. Most sportsbooks prefer decimal free points, giving players the possibility of a push.
What to do next
Depending on the sport, ties aren’t all that uncommon. Now you know the important information on what your Sportsbook will do if it happens. And don’t forget, if you’re doing a no push bet, you should get better odds. Want to know more gambling tips? Check out our sports gambling guide.