What Is a Push in Sports Betting? (And How Books Grade It)

A push is the sports-betting version of a tie: the final result lands exactly on your number, the wager is graded no win, no loss, and your stake is returned. Simple idea… yet it drives more customer disputes than you’d think. I’ll break down how pushes work across spreads, totals, moneylines, parlays, teasers, player props, soccer markets, and Asian handicaps—plus the edge implications you actually care about.

Push vs Void vs No Action

Books use these terms loosely, but the outcomes differ behind the scenes.

Grading term	What it means to you	Typical triggers	Notes
Push	Stake returned; wager counted as settled	Exact tie with your line (e.g., +3.0 lands 3)	Counts toward rollover at some books; check promo T&Cs
Void / No Action	Stake returned; treated as if never placed	Postponements, player DNP, market error	Parlays shrink by one leg; promos often excluded from progress

From a wallet perspective, push and void look identical. From a compliance and promo-accounting perspective, they’re not. As an operator, spell this out on your house rules page to cut tickets.

How pushes happen by market

Point Spreads (ATS)

A spread with an integer (no half-point “hook”) can push.

• Example: Patriots –6.0 vs Jets. Pats win by exactly 6 → push.
• Add a hook (–6.5) and there’s no push path.

NBA and NFL have “key numbers” (3, 7 in NFL) where pushes cluster. Books price hooks accordingly.

Totals (Over/Under)

Totals ending in .0 can push; .5 totals can’t.

• O/U 48.0 in NFL and game finishes 27–21 (=48) → push
• O/U 48.5 → no push; it’s binary

Some sports include overtime by default (NBA, NHL), others are “90 minutes only” (soccer). Whether OT counts alters push probability. Read the market header every time.

Moneyline

In leagues with overtime to a decision (NFL, NBA, NHL playoffs), a standard 2-way moneyline won’t push. In markets where a draw is possible and not a listed outcome, a tie pushes by rule (e.g., “Draw No Bet” in soccer). In 3-way markets (home/away/draw) there is no push—the draw is a losing outcome if you didn’t select it.

Run Line / Puck Line

If the book offers ±1.0, a one-run/one-goal margin creates pushes. Most commonly you’ll see ±1.5 to avoid pushes.

Player Props

Props posted at an integer (e.g., QB 240.0 passing yards) push on exact. With .5 they don’t. If the player never takes the field, most books void rather than push.

Parlays, Same-Game Parlays, Round Robins

• Traditional parlay: a push leg is removed; your parlay reprices as if that leg was never there. If two legs push, it becomes a parlay of the remaining legs. If every leg pushes, the ticket is void, full stake back.
• Same-game parlay (SGP): most books handle pushes the same way (reduce). Some SGP promos have different grading—check the boost’s T&Cs.
• Teasers: push rules are book-specific. Commonly, a push reduces the teaser by one leg; some books grade any push as a loss on 2-team teasers. Do not assume—publish the rule on your bet slip.

Quick parlay examples

Ticket	Result	Grading
3-leg parlay; one leg pushes; two win	Wins	Paid as a 2-leg parlay
4-leg parlay; two legs push; one wins; one loses	Loses	Losing leg sinks it; pushes removed
2-team teaser; one wins; one pushes	Varies	Reduced to 1-team teaser (paid at house scale) or loss, per rules

“No Push” lines and why they exist

Books hate administrative sludge. So they use pricing and product design to reduce pushes:

• The hook (±0.5): adding a half-point eliminates pushes and lets the book fine-tune hold around key numbers. You pay for that certainty in vig.
• Totals with .5: same idea—binary outcomes, cleaner grading.
• 3-way (1X2) markets: home/away/draw in soccer or “regulation only” NHL/NBA 3-way. No pushes; you must be right about the draw.
• Quarter-goal (Asian) lines: more granular outcomes, sometimes splitting stakes into push/half-win/half-loss instead of a full push.

If you’re the player, “no push” formats should come with better odds to compensate for the extra losing path (e.g., 3-way moneyline). If you’re the operator, price it fairly and explain it clearly.

Asian Handicap and Quarter Lines (push nuance you must know)

Asian lines create fractional outcomes by splitting your stake across two adjacent numbers.

• –0.25 = half stake on 0, half on –0.5
  • Draw → half push, half loss
  • Win by 1+ → full win
• +0.25 = half on 0, half on +0.5
  • Draw → half win, half push
• –0.75 = half on –0.5, half on –1.0
  • Win by 1 → half win, half push
  • Win by 2+ → full win

Same logic applies to Asian totals (2.25, 2.75, etc.). This is how pros smooth volatility without surrendering too much price.

Asian line quick reference

Line	If draw	If win by 1	If lose by 1
–0.25	½ push / ½ loss	Full win	Full loss
+0.25	½ win / ½ push	Full win	Full loss
–0.75	—	½ win / ½ push	Full loss
+0.75	—	Full win	½ loss / ½ push

Soccer: Draw No Bet, 3-Way, and Regulation-Only

• 3-way (1X2): bet home/away/draw at 90 minutes (+ stoppage). No push possible.
• Draw No Bet (DNB): two-way market; a draw is a push. Odds are shorter than 3-way to reflect push protection.
• Double Chance (1X, 12, X2): two of three outcomes win; no push.
• Regulation-only markets for hockey/basketball label overtime excluded. A draw at end of regulation either loses (3-way) or pushes (rare 2-way “reg only” lines). Read the header.

Edge implications (where pushes actually matter)

I’ve run the sims; here’s what moves the needle.

• Key numbers (NFL): Landing on 3 or 7 is common. Buying +3.0 instead of +2.5 converts some losses into pushes—that’s real value if the price is right. Conversely, laying –2.5 instead of –3.0 converts pushes into wins—you’ll pay extra vig for that privilege.
• Hooks on totals: NFL totals cluster around low-40s; a .5 around 41/43/44 changes push probability. If your model leans under at 44.0, you’ll prefer 44.5 (more wins) or 43.5 (worse).
• Teasers: Push rules can swing EV by several percentage points. If your book grades push-as-loss on 2-team teasers, you need a bigger true edge (think Wong-style through 3 and 7) to compensate.
• 3-way vs DNB: 3-way pays more because ties kill you. If the match is draw-heavy, DNB often dominates on a risk-adjusted basis.

Operator take: publish a key-number policy and make hook pricing consistent. Bettors forgive losses; they don’t forgive feeling nickel-and-dimed.

Practical examples you’ll actually see

Example 1: Spread push

You bet Bengals –3.0 at –110. Final: Bengals 23, Ravens 20.
Margin = 3 → push → stake returned.

Example 2: Total push

You bet Over 48.0 at –105. Final: 27–21 = 48 → push.

Example 3: Parlay with a push

3-leg parlay: Chiefs ML, Under 46.0, Lions –3.0. Lions win by 3 → push on that leg.
Ticket pays as a 2-leg parlay on Chiefs + Under.

Example 4: Asian handicap half-push

You bet Arsenal –0.75. Final: Arsenal 1–0.
Half stake on –0.5 wins, half on –1.0 pushes → net half win.

Common gotchas (and how I advise handling them)

• Player props scratched: If a player is inactive, void the prop. If he plays one snap but doesn’t record a stat, the market stands unless rules say otherwise. Write it clearly.
• Abandonments/postponements: Grade void after your house-rule window (e.g., 24–48 hours) unless the league declares an official final that your rules accept.
• Overtime inclusion: Label every market “includes OT” or “regulation only” right on the bet slip. Most NBA/NHL totals include OT by default; soccer does not.
• Promos and pushes: If a push doesn’t count toward a bonus rollover, say so in the promo tile. Otherwise, expect support tickets.

Quick cheat sheet (bookmark this)

Market	Can it push?	When	Typical grading
Spread (±X.0)	Yes	Margin = X	Push
Spread (±X.5)	No	—	Win/Loss only
Total (X.0)	Yes	Points/goals = X	Push
Total (X.5)	No	—	Win/Loss only
Moneyline 2-way (OT to a decision)	No	—	Win/Loss only
Moneyline 2-way (DNB)	Yes	Draw	Push
Moneyline 3-way (1X2)	No	—	Win/Loss only
Asian handicap (quarter lines)	Partially	Draw / 1-goal margins	Half push/half win/half loss
Parlay	Indirectly	Any leg pushes	Leg removed, repriced
Teaser	Maybe	Any leg pushes	Reduce or loss (house rules)

Strategy tips (player-side, but useful for operators too)

• Protect EV around key numbers; the value of a push is real insurance. I’ll pay to go from –3.0 to –2.5 far more often than I’ll buy –3.0 to –2.5 at a bad price. Discipline beats vibes.
• In soccer, Draw No Bet is underrated by casuals. If your read is “edge but draw risk,” DNB’s push protection is worth the price cut.
• Avoid teasers at books that grade push-as-loss unless your legs cross both 3 and 7 and your price is sharp. Otherwise you’re donating.
• Don’t fear pushes—they’re neutral. Fear bad prices. Hooks are expensive for a reason; shop.

Here’s my bottom line: a push is not drama, it’s plumbing. The fewer surprises your book produces, the longer your players stick around. If you’re an operator, standardize your push/void language and surface it on slips by market type; it cuts complaints and increases trust. If you’re the bettor, treat pushes as variance control—then focus on getting the best number.

If you want a clean, brandable rules template (push/void/teaser/OT) for your sportsbook or a key-number pricing audit, we at NOWG can spin that up fast. And if you’re optimizing your hold while staying fair, try NOWG’s free online tools for casinos and books—line value calculators, teaser EV checkers, and parlay repricers—to sanity-check promos before you ship them.