What Is a Push in Betting?

You bet a team at -7, they win by exactly 7, and your sportsbook app shows neither a win nor a loss. Your stake just comes back. That is a push, one of those outcomes that does not seem like it should exist until it happens to you.

Push, defined

A push happens when the result lands exactly on the number you bet, most often on a point spread or total. Nobody wins, nobody loses, and your original stake is returned in full.

Chiefs -7, final score 27-20: exactly 7, so both sides get their money back.

What causes a push

A push can only happen on a bet with a number attached, like a spread or a total. If a team is favored by exactly 7 and wins by exactly 7, every bet on both sides of that spread pushes. Totals work the same way: if the combined score lands exactly on the posted number, the over and the under both push.

Moneylines generally cannot push, because there is no number to tie. A team either wins or it does not.

What happens to your money

How each bet type handles a push

Bet type	What a push means
Point spread	Your full stake is returned, no profit and no loss
Total (over/under)	Same: both sides get their stake back
Moneyline	Only possible if the game itself ends in a tie, depending on the sport's rules
Parlay leg	That leg is usually removed and the ticket is regraded with fewer legs

If you bet $110 to win $100 on a spread that pushes, the $110 goes back into your account. On a parlay, a pushed leg typically drops off, so a 4-leg ticket becomes a 3-leg ticket at a smaller payout instead of being canceled.

Why so many lines end in .5

A half point makes a push impossible, since no football or basketball game ends on a half-point margin. That is why you see -7.5 far more often than -7. Books still use whole numbers when they believe that is the fair price, accepting the push risk. In football, 3 and 7 are the most common final margins, so spreads sitting exactly on those numbers push more often than you would expect.

Chiefs -7

Final: Chiefs 27, Broncos 20

•Margin of exactly 7

•Graded as a push

•$110 stake returned

Chiefs -6.5

Same final score

✓Margin of 7 clears 6.5

✓Chiefs bettors win

Chiefs -7.5

Same final score

✕Margin of 7 falls short of 7.5

✓Broncos +7.5 bettors win

Push questions

What does a push mean in betting?

It is a tie between the final result and the number you bet, most common on spreads and totals. Your stake comes back and the bet counts as neither a win nor a loss.

Do you get your money back on a push?

Yes, your full original stake. No profit, no loss.

Can a moneyline bet push?

Not usually. There is no number to tie, so it only happens if the game itself ends in a tie, which is rare and depends on the sport's overtime rules.

Why do some spreads use half points?

A half-point spread like -7.5 makes a push impossible. Books use whole numbers when they think that is the true value of the game, accepting the chance of a push.

Related guides

NFL key numbers →

Why 3 and 7 push so often.

Buying points →

Paying to get off a push number.

Point spreads →

How covering works.

The number matters as much as the side

Every GSP pick lists the exact number, not just the team, so you always know where a push is possible.

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