What Is a Push in Betting? Ties, Refunds, and No Action Explained

A push occurs when the game result exactly equals the spread or total. If you bet a team at -3 and they win by exactly 3, that bet pushes. If you bet the Over 44 and the final combined score is exactly 44, that bet pushes. In both cases, the sportsbook returns your original stake without any winnings or losses.

Half-point spreads and totals (e.g., -3.5 or Over 44.5) eliminate the possibility of a push. The half-point ensures the result can never land exactly on the number. This is why books often offer half-point pricing, and why buying or selling half points around key numbers costs extra juice.

Whole-number spreads and totals carry push risk. In the NFL, spreads of exactly 3 or 7 are the most likely to result in a push because games land on these margins most frequently. Bettors who regularly bet NFL spreads of -3 or -7 should factor push probability into their evaluation of those bets.

When one leg of a parlay pushes, that leg is removed from the parlay and the remaining legs are paid at the adjusted odds. A four-leg parlay with one push becomes a three-leg parlay. This is favorable to the bettor compared to simply losing the push leg — the other legs can still win.

Note that a push does not count as a win for the parlay, just a removal. If you have a three-leg parlay and two legs win with one push, you are paid at two-leg parlay odds, not three-leg odds. The push does not add to the payout — it simply does not subtract from it.

Same-game parlay pushes can be more complicated. Some books have specific rules about correlated outcomes that push within the same contest. Always check the specific book's rules on SGP push handling before placing a large same-game parlay.

A push results in a refund of your stake. 'No action' is a related outcome where a bet is voided and returned — most commonly when a game is cancelled, postponed beyond a certain time window, or when a player listed in a prop bet does not participate in the game.

Player prop bets have specific 'no action' rules. If you bet a player's rushing yards and he does not take a single snap due to injury before the game starts, the bet is typically voided and returned. If he participates even briefly then exits, rules vary by book — some grade the result on whatever statistics he accumulated.

Postponed games are handled differently across books. Some automatically void bets if a game is postponed more than 24–48 hours. Others wait until the game is played regardless of when it occurs. Knowing your book's policy on postponements prevents you from unknowingly losing on a canceled game or having your bankroll tied up in a delayed event.