Ever placed a bet, held your breath watching the final play, and then… nothing? You didn't win, but you didn't lose either. You just got your money back.
That's a push. Think of it as a draw between you and the sportsbook. It’s a neutral outcome where your stake is returned right back to your account, no harm, no foul. It's a fundamental concept every bettor needs to grasp, especially when playing at offshore sites like MyBookie or BetUS.
Your Quick Answer To A Push In Betting
So, what does a push mean in betting? In the simplest terms, it’s a tie. When the final score or total of a game lands exactly on the number set by the sportsbook, the bet is a push. Neither you nor the house wins, and your original wager is refunded to your account balance.
It’s a common outcome that you'll run into pretty often. Let's say you bet on the Kansas City Chiefs as 10-point favorites over the Los Angeles Chargers at a site like Bet105. If the Chiefs win the game by exactly 10 points—maybe the final score is 31-21—your bet on the point spread is a push. Your stake comes right back to you. You can learn more about how oddsmakers create these lines from detailed betting guides.
This flowchart breaks down the basic outcomes. If the score hits the betting line on the nose, it's a push.
As you can see, the bet only moves to a win or a loss if the final outcome is above or below the line. Landing right on it just resets the wager.
How Pushes Work on Spreads and Totals
You'll run into pushes most often when you're betting on point spreads and totals. This is their natural habitat. Sportsbooks love using whole numbers for these bets because it helps them create a perfectly balanced market, but it also creates the possibility of a tie between your wager and the final score. It’s something you'll see all the time at sharp offshore sites like Bookmaker.eu and Heritage Sports.
Let's say you're looking at an NFL game on Bookmaker.eu. The New England Patriots are a -7 point favorite. If the Patriots win the game by exactly seven points—maybe the final score is 24-17—your bet is a wash. You don't win, but you don't lose either. It's a push, and the sportsbook refunds your stake in full. They hit the number exactly, so nobody wins. To get a better handle on this, check out our guide on understanding point spreads.
Pushes in Totals Betting
The exact same idea applies to totals betting, which you probably know as Over/Under bets.
Picture yourself betting the Over 224 in an NBA game at Heritage Sports. The game ends with a final score of 114-110. Add those up, and you get exactly 224 points. Just like with the spread, this results in a push, and your money comes right back to you.
A push on a total bet occurs when the combined score of both teams perfectly matches the line set by the sportsbook. This neutral result simply refunds your wager, acting as a built-in reset button for the bet.
This isn't just an NBA or NFL thing; it happens in every sport. A college football total set at 63 points with a 41-22 final is a classic push scenario. Statistically, you can expect a push to happen in roughly 1-3% of all NBA games, where the high scores make it a bit more common.
The main takeaway here is simple: whole numbers in spreads and totals create a third possible outcome. Instead of a guaranteed win or loss, the push acts as a safety net, resetting your bet when the game lands precisely on the number.
It’s a common fear for bettors: you’ve built the perfect parlay, and one game pushes. Does the whole ticket go up in flames? Relax. At reputable sportsbooks like Xbet and BetAnything, a single push won't kill your entire parlay. That’s a myth.
When one leg of your parlay results in a push, the bet isn't a loser. Instead, that specific leg is simply taken out of the equation. Your parlay is still very much alive. The book just recalculates the odds based on the legs that are still in play.
For instance, if you placed a four-team parlay and one leg pushes, it just morphs into a three-team parlay. The potential payout shrinks, of course, but your action keeps rolling even when a game lands exactly on the number.
This is the standard way multi-leg bets are handled. Let’s say you put $50 on a three-team parlay with standard -110 odds at Cosmobet. Team A (-7) pushes, but Team B (-3) and Team C (+4) both cover their spreads. The sportsbook voids the Team A leg, and your bet automatically becomes a two-team parlay, paying out at +264 odds. In fact, some data suggests that 5-7% of all multi-leg NFL bets have at least one push.
To get a better handle on how these bets are constructed, check out our complete guide explaining parlay betting in detail.
Now, teasers are a different beast altogether, and this is where you really need to pay attention to the house rules. While the general idea is the same, the way a push is treated can change drastically from one sportsbook to another, especially with two-team teasers.
Some sportsbooks will grade a two-team teaser with one win and one push as a complete loss. Others, like BUSR, might have specific rules that reduce it to a simple straight bet or just void the teaser entirely.
Because there's no universal rule, it is absolutely critical to know your sportsbook's policy. A push that saves your parlay could completely sink your teaser, all depending on where you placed the bet. Always, always check the rules before you lock in a teaser.
Why Pushes Rarely Happen in Moneyline Betting
When you ask, "what does a push mean in betting?" the conversation almost always lands on spreads and totals. Moneyline bets are a completely different animal. So, can a moneyline bet even push? Most of the time, the answer is a hard no.
For sports with a clear winner and loser, like American football or basketball, the standard 2-way moneyline makes a push impossible. It’s simple: one team wins, the other loses—there’s no gray area. If you bet on a team to win, they either get the job done or they don't. You can get a full rundown on the basics in our guide to what moneyline betting is.
The 3-Way Moneyline Exception
Things change quite a bit, however, when you step into sports where a draw is a regular part of the game, like soccer or boxing. This is where you'll run into the 3-way moneyline.
This wager introduces the "draw" as a third possible outcome to bet on, right alongside the two teams. Here's the key difference you need to understand:
- Bet on Team A to Win: If the game ends in a draw, your bet is a loss, not a push.
- Bet on Team B to Win: Same deal. If it's a draw, your ticket is graded as a loss.
- Bet on the Draw: This is the only way your bet cashes if the game ends in a tie.
On a 3-way moneyline, picking a team to win means they have to actually win the game. A tie doesn't get you a refund—it's a loss unless you specifically bet on the draw itself.
So, while a push can technically happen in a few niche moneyline markets (like a "Draw No Bet" option), it's incredibly rare in standard moneyline betting. For the most part, you can count on a clear win or a clear loss.
Weaving Pushes Into Your Betting Strategy
A push doesn't have to be just a frustrating, neutral outcome. For experienced bettors, it's a variable you can either strategically eliminate or use as a powerful safety net. Figuring out how to handle the possibility of a push is a big part of playing the long game and protecting your bankroll.
The most obvious way to take pushes completely off the table is by betting on lines with half-points. You’ll see them everywhere—spreads like -3.5 or totals like 48.5. Since a game can't end with half a point, a push is physically impossible. Your bet is guaranteed to either win or lose. No ties, no refunds.
Should You Avoid Pushes or Use Them?
Another route sharp bettors take is buying points. Most top offshore sportsbooks, like MyBookie and BetUS, give you the option to tweak the line in your favor by paying a bit more in juice. Let's say you want to bet on a -3 favorite but hate the idea of a push. You can often buy a half-point to move that line down to -2.5, completely removing any chance of a tie.
This move turns a potential push into a win. The trade-off, of course, is the price. Your odds will drop from the standard -110 to something closer to -125 or -130.
But sometimes, a push can be your best friend, acting as a buffer that saves you from a brutal last-second loss. This is where line shopping becomes your most valuable skill. By comparing odds across different books like Bookmaker.eu, Heritage Sports, and BUSR, you might find one book offering an underdog at +7 while another has them at +6.5.
Grabbing that +7 line gives you what we call "push protection." If your team loses by exactly seven, you get your stake back. The person who bet on +6.5 just lost their money. Securing that whole number can be an invaluable strategic edge.
Ultimately, it comes down to your personal strategy. Are you willing to pay a premium to guarantee a win-or-lose result? Or do you prefer to hunt for those whole numbers that give your bet an extra layer of defense against a narrow defeat? The choice is yours.
Always Check the Sportsbook House Rules
While the concept of a push is pretty standard across the board, how sportsbooks apply that rule can get a little tricky, especially when you wade into more complex bets like teasers or player props. Not all books play by the exact same rules.
This is why it's absolutely critical to glance over the 'House Rules' or 'Betting Rules' section on any site you use, whether it's MyBookie, BUSR, or Bookmaker.eu. Seriously, take five minutes to do it. You might find that one sportsbook grades a push in a two-team teaser as a total loss, while another just knocks the payout down as if it were a single bet.
The fine print matters. A rule variation that seems small can be the difference between getting a refund and losing your entire stake on a complex wager like a teaser.
The same goes for player props. Let's say a quarterback's passing yards prop is 275, and he throws for exactly 275 yards. Is that a push? Usually, but you can't assume. Reading the terms beforehand saves you from nasty surprises and lets you place your bets with confidence, knowing exactly how every outcome is handled.
Common Questions About Betting Pushes
Let's clear up some of the most common questions bettors run into when it comes to pushes. Think of this as a quick-fire round to make sure you're never left scratching your head when a bet settles.
Do I Lose My Money on a Push?
Absolutely not. This is probably the biggest sigh of relief for new bettors. You will never lose your stake on a standard push.
If your bet on a point spread or a total ends in a tie, you simply get a full refund of your original wager. It's like the bet never happened. Your bankroll at sites like BetUS or Bookmaker.eu stays exactly where it was.
Does a Push Kill My Entire Parlay at MyBookie?
Nope, a single push won't wreck your whole parlay. This is a common worry, but sportsbooks like MyBookie handle it fairly.
The leg that pushed is just removed from the ticket. The rest of the parlay is then recalculated with a lower payout based on the remaining winning bets. So, what was once a 5-team parlay just becomes a 4-team parlay, and the odds adjust accordingly.
How Can I Make Sure My Bet Won't Push?
If you hate the idea of a push, there are a couple of solid ways to avoid them. The easiest is to bet on lines that already include a half-point, like -7.5 or Over 48.5. Since a game can't end in half a point, a push is literally impossible.
Your other option is to "buy points." Many sportsbooks, such as BUSR, let you shift the line in your favor for a little extra juice. You could move a line from -3 to -2.5, eliminating the tie and giving you a better shot at a win.
Ready to put this knowledge into action? At USASportsbookList, we've done the homework for you, reviewing and comparing the best offshore sportsbooks out there. We'll help you find the perfect site with the sharpest odds and best bonuses. Find your next winning bet today at https://usasportsbooklist.com.
