What a push means in betting
A push is a bet that neither wins nor loses: your stake comes back. When it happens on spreads, totals, draw no bet and Asian lines, with real numbers.
On this page
A push is a bet that ties with its line: the result lands exactly on the number, so you neither win nor lose and the stake comes back. It can only happen when the line is a whole number. Back a team at −3 and they win by exactly 3, and that is a push. Back a team at −3.5 and there is no tie possible: they either cover or they do not.
Where pushes happen
| Market | Line | Result that pushes | What you get back |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point spread | −3 | Win by exactly 3 | Full stake |
| Total points | 44 | Exactly 44 points scored | Full stake |
| Draw no bet | Team to win | Match drawn | Full stake |
| Asian handicap | 0.0 or −1.0 | Draw, or win by exactly 1 | Full stake |
| Asian quarter line | −0.25 | Draw | Half the stake lost, half returned |
| Any line ending .5 | −3.5, 44.5 | Not possible | Never pushes |
Quarter lines split the stake across two neighbouring lines, so a draw on −0.25 is half a push and half a loss. That is worked through in Asian goal lines explained: 2.25 and 2.75.
How often a push happens
It depends on how often the result lands on that number, which varies a lot by sport. In American football, scores move in 3s and 7s, so some lines push far more than others. TheSharpBook's study of 7,276 NFL games with closing lines (1999–2025) found:
| NFL closing spread | How often it pushed |
|---|---|
| 3 | 9.0% |
| 10 | 6.6% |
| 7 | 6.5% |
| 14 | 4.4% |
| 6 | 3.7% |
Why 3 and 7 matter so much is in key numbers in American football: 3 and 7. In football (soccer), the common push is the draw on a draw no bet or a 0.0 Asian line.
A push on one of this week's cards
Draw no bet on Gent in tonight's game in Braga turns the draw into a push. On our chances for that game:
| Result | Our chance | Draw no bet on Gent |
|---|---|---|
| Gent win | 43.8% | Wins |
| Draw | 29.3% | Push, stake back |
| Braga win | 27.0% | Loses |
So on our numbers that bet pushes almost three times in ten, and it wins 62% of the time the money is actually at risk (43.8 out of 70.8). That safety costs price: a draw no bet quote is always shorter than the win price. How to judge whether it is worth it is in draw no bet explained, with a real price.
What this does not tell you
It does not tell you that a whole-number line is better or worse value; the bookmaker prices the chance of a push into the line. House rules differ on edge cases (a game abandoned, overtime counted or not), so check them. The push rates above are NFL figures from one study and do not carry over to college football, basketball or any other sport.
18+. Bet only what you can afford to lose.
Common questions
What does a push mean in betting?
A push is a tie with the line. The result lands exactly on the number you bet, so the bet neither wins nor loses and the stake is returned.
When can a bet push?
Only when the line is a whole number: a spread of −3, a total of 44, a draw no bet market when the game is drawn, or an Asian line ending in .0. A line ending in .5 can never push.
How often do NFL spreads push?
It depends on the number. In TheSharpBook's study of NFL closing lines from 1999 to 2025, a line of 3 pushed 9.0% of the time, 10 pushed 6.6% and 7 pushed 6.5%.
Is a push the same as a void bet?
The money is the same, the stake comes back, but the reason differs. A push is a result landing on the line; a void is a bet cancelled, for example when a game is not played.