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Good day class; we at MyTopSportsbooks would like to resume our sports betting tutorial with a new subject guaranteed to captivate your interest. We are going to educate you on a push for sports betting. We will look at what a push is and how it affects your points spread bets, your total bets, your Moneyline bets and your prop bets. We will look at what a push is in betting, what happens if you push in a parlay, and much more helpful information. Let’s look at ‘what is a push is at an online sportsbook app. The betting odds, matchup and type of bet will be factored into our lesson today.
A Push, What is it?
Bets are a three-outcome proposition, win, lose or push for a sports bettor. A push at a sportsbook means there is no winner for the sports bet; it doesn’t matter what the sports event is; a push is a push. Apart from soccer, very few games end in a tie. A push can be common in a points-spread bet and a totals bet. Let’s take a look at an NFL push bet result.
The Buffalo Bills are -3 favourites over the Kansas City Chiefs. In order to cover the spread, the Bills must win by more than 3 points, say 35-31 or 28-24. For the Kansas City Chiefs to cover the point spread, they must lose 35-34 or 28-27. In that instance, the Bills didn’t cover the point spread. Say the Bills win 38-35 or 27-24. The game would be declared a push on the points spread with no winning or losing bets.
A points spread bet or totals bet will end in a whole number, creates the possibility for bet pushes. The possibility of a push is nullified when the number of points isn’t a whole number. Sportsbooks, casinos, oddsmakers or bookmakers will frequently add a half point (.5) to the line to create a two-outcome sports bet. If your betting strategy is to bet on totals or point spread, you want to bet on games with a half point added to eliminate the tie or push. If you bet on soccer, you have a couple of different options. The first and most common bet is the three-way Moneyline wager, offering either side to win or draw. Also, you can bet on a draw, no bet; if the game ends in a tie, it is considered a push.
Back to the NFL betting lines, for our example. If the game ends in a tie – after the overtime period – the result is a push. A bet on the Moneyline, the result would be a push, but there would be a winner declared via a points spread bet.
Push Examples, Sports Betting
The Points Spread
- If the line is a whole number – say 3 or 7 – a push can be the result. In our past example, the line is -3 Buffalo Bills over the Kansas City Chiefs. A closing score of 27-24 Bills would end the bet as a push.
Total Bets
- A total bet of 8 runs in MLB, or total points, say 51 in an NFL game, or 210 in an NBA game. MLB: The Toronto Blue Jays play the NY Yankees; the final score is 6-2 Blue Jays, and the game is a push. From our NFL example, the Bills vs the Chiefs, the final score is 27-24 Bills, and the game is a push on the 51-point total. In the NBA, the Toronto Raptors play the Boston Celtics: final score of 108-102 for the Raptors, and the game is a push on the 210-point total.
Moneyline Bets
- For an NFL game that remains tied after the overtime period, it is a push.
Prop Bets
- If a player prop bet is wagered as an over/under that has a whole number can be a push. An example of player props, Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills, is over/under 300 passing yards against the KC Chiefs. If he finishes the game with the exact number – 300 yards passing – the bet pushes with your online sports establishment.
Parlay Bets
- If you have a push on your parlay bet, the points spread, or the total score ends in a tie, it is a push. That leg of your parlay bet that is tied is dropped from your parlay bet. If you have selected a three-game parlay bet with two winners and push, your payout drops from +600 to +260. If for some reason, the game is cancelled, the game is dropped from your parlay. And you won’t be penalized for the cancellation.
Teaser Bets
- It works the same as a parlay bet. If you have teased a point spread bet – up or down – and the final score plus teased spread ends in a push, the tease is dropped from your betting card.
Push Bets in other sports
In other sports, such as baseball, a rain-shortened game that has gone five innings is considered an official game. The Moneyline bets are considered action after the fifth inning (an official complete game for a rainout). Other bets like the runline, over/under, and game totals need nine innings played to be considered action. If nine innings aren’t played, the game is viewed as a push, and parlay push rules apply. Tennis pushes can be difficult; depending on the sportsbook rules, an in-match retirement may have to have a certain amount of games or sets played before the match is statused a push.
- You don’t see a push on the final score for MLB bets because if the game is tied after nine innings, they play extra innings, with the home team getting the last hits. For the NBA and the NHL, a tie after regulation time sends the game into the overtime period, and in the NBA’s case, they play until a winner is declared once the overtime period time runs out. For the NHL, if the game is tied after the overtime period, they go to a shootout to determine the winner.
We at MTS want to give you a Latin lesson before we go. Caveat Emptor, literally translated, buyer, beware. Before you make a bet at a sportsbook, make sure you know the rules governing what a push is and how it is handled. You should review many different sports betting sites to find one you are comfortable with and understand the rules of sports betting.
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