What Is a Push in Betting? When Your Bet Ties the Line
How Pushes Happen
Example: you bet Chiefs -3. The Chiefs win 27-24 โ exactly 3 points. That's a push. Your $100 bet is returned. You don't win anything, but you don't lose anything either.
Pushes can happen on:
- Point spreads: team wins by exactly the spread number
- Totals: combined score lands exactly on the over/under number
- Player props: a player's stat lands exactly on the line
The Half-Point Hook
Sportsbooks use half-points to eliminate pushes. You'll see lines like -3.5 instead of -3. A team can't win by 3.5 points โ the result is always Over or Under, never a push.
When you see a whole number line (-3, -7, Over 45), a push is possible. When you see a half-point line (-3.5, -7.5, Over 45.5), a push is impossible.
Bettors sometimes "buy the hook" โ paying slightly worse odds to move from -3 to -3.5 (or from -3 to -2.5 depending on which side they're on). Whether this is worth it depends on how often games land on that exact number.
Key Numbers in Football
In NFL and college football, certain margins of victory happen more often than others because of scoring increments (field goals = 3, touchdowns + extra point = 7):
If you're betting a -3 spread in the NFL, there's roughly a 15% chance of a push. That's significant. At -7, it's about 10%.
How Pushes Affect Parlays
If one leg of a parlay pushes, that leg is removed and the parlay is recalculated with the remaining legs. A 4-leg parlay where one leg pushes becomes a 3-leg parlay. The parlay doesn't lose โ it just pays less.
Push Rules Vary by Sportsbook
Most sportsbooks refund pushes on straight bets. But rules differ for pushes in parlays and teasers. Some sportsbooks grade parlay pushes as losses. Always check your book's house rules.