What Is a Push in Sports Betting?
A push is a tie between your bet and the line. Your stake is returned in full — you don't win anything, but you don't lose anything either. It's one of three possible outcomes on a spread or total bet, alongside a win and a loss.
When does a push happen?
A push occurs when the final margin lands exactly on the spread, or the combined score lands exactly on the total.
- Spread example: You bet the Chiefs −3. They win by exactly 3. The bet pushes — neither side covered.
- Total example: You bet the over 47. The game ends 28–19, totaling 47. Push.
The sportsbook refunds your original stake. No profit, no loss. The vig you would have paid is also returned.
Why half-point spreads exist
Pushes cost sportsbooks operational headache and eliminate the vig they planned to collect. That's why most spreads are set at half-points — 3.5, 7.5, 10.5 — rather than whole numbers. A final margin can't land on 3.5, so a push is impossible. You either cover or you don't.
When you do see a whole-number spread like −3 or −7, it's usually because the book is happy to take that risk, or because those are key numbers in NFL scoring (3-point field goals, 7-point touchdowns) where both sides attract balanced action regardless.
Pushes in parlays
This is where it gets important. A push inside a parlay doesn't kill the whole ticket — but it does reduce it. The pushed leg is removed and the parlay pays out as if it had one fewer team.
| Original parlay | One leg pushes | Pays as |
|---|---|---|
| 4-team parlay | 1 push, 3 wins | 3-team parlay |
| 2-team parlay | 1 push, 1 win | Straight bet (refund or win at −110) |
| 2-team parlay | 2 pushes | Full refund |
Rules can vary slightly by sportsbook, so it's worth checking the house rules — but the above is standard at most major books.
Push vs. void — what's the difference?
A push is a tie on the outcome you bet. A void (or "no action") happens when the bet is cancelled entirely — usually because a game is postponed, a player doesn't participate, or a prop can't be determined. Both result in a refund, but they arise from different situations.
Buying off the key number to avoid a push
Some bettors pay extra vig to move a spread off a key number — for example, buying from −3 to −2.5 to eliminate the push risk on the most common NFL margin. Whether that's worth it depends on the price. Moving off 3 in the NFL typically costs around 10–15 cents in juice, which may or may not be worth eliminating the push.