A push in betting is a result that lands exactly on the line or total you bet, such as a 4-point win on a -4 line, so the bet neither wins nor loses. Under the usual rule type the stake comes back with no profit, and your bookmaker's terms confirm how it settles.
Only a whole number can push, or the whole-number half of a quarter-goal line. Scores are whole numbers, so a line or total ending in .5 can never be hit exactly, which is the whole job of a half-point line.
A push on a -4 line, worked
With illustrative prices for a basketball game, $50 on Team A -4 at $1.85 and $50 on Team B +4 at $1.97:
| Team A's winning margin | Team A -4 at $1.85 | Team B +4 at $1.97 |
|---|---|---|
| 9 points | Wins: $92.50 | Loses |
| Exactly 4 | Push: $50 back | Push: $50 back |
| 3 points, or Team A loses | Loses | Wins: $98.50 |
Return = stake x price: $50 x 1.85 = $92.50 and $50 x 1.97 = $98.50. On an exact 4, both sides push together and each $50 comes back. The line betting guide explains how a start is applied to the score.
Which markets can push
| Market | Can it push? | What a push looks like |
|---|---|---|
| A line or total ending in .5 | No | Every result falls on one side |
| A whole-number line, such as -4 | Yes | A win by exactly 4 |
| A whole-number total, such as 41 | Yes | Exactly 41 points |
| A player prop on a whole number, such as 20 disposals | Yes | Exactly 20 |
| A two-way (Asian) soccer handicap on a whole goal, such as -1 | Yes | A one-goal win at the end of normal time |
| A three-way soccer handicap, such as -1 | No | A one-goal win is the handicap draw, a selection of its own, so the -1 side loses |
| A quarter-goal handicap, such as -0.75 | Half the stake | A one-goal win: the -0.5 half wins and the -1 half is refunded |
| Draw no bet | In effect | A draw refunds the stake |
| A two-way head to head that ends in a draw | No | A dead heat under the NSW rule book |
The last row catches people out. Under NSW's Bookmaker Declared Betting Events Betting Rules, for bookmakers licensed there to take sports bets, a draw in a market with no draw price counts as a dead heat between the two sides, which halves the payout (clause 5.1.8). At an illustrative $1.70, $50 returns $50 x 1.70 / 2 = $42.50, less than the stake. Draw no bet is the market built to refund a draw.
How a push affects a multi
The usual rule type treats a pushed leg like a void one: it counts at 1.00 and the multi pays on the legs that won. With illustrative prices, $20 on three legs at $1.85 (Team A -4), $2.05 and $1.65:
| What happens | Multi price | $20 returns |
|---|---|---|
| All three legs win | 1.85 x 2.05 x 1.65 = 6.2576 | $125.15 |
| The -4 leg pushes, the other two win | 2.05 x 1.65 = 3.3825 | $67.65 |
| The -4 leg pushes and another leg loses | None | $0.00 |
| All three legs push | 1.00 | $20.00 |
A push keeps the multi alive, but it takes that leg's price out of the payout, so do not count a pushed leg as a winner. A same game multi can handle a pushed leg differently, because its legs were priced together: some bookmakers re-price the remaining legs and others void the ticket. Multi bets explained covers how legs combine, and same game multi rules covers the SGM side.
Finding whole numbers and half points side by side
A whole number and a half point are different bets, and the refund on an exact result is paid for in the price.
The B337 Terminal gives each bookmaker's line and total markets for a game their own column, so read the number in each before you compare prices. It carries prices from 40+ bookmakers across racing and sports, and sports betting explained covers the markets themselves. A price on screen can trail the bookmaker's own, so check it before you bet. A free account opens a limited view of the Terminal with live odds.
Risk: Betting involves risk. A push only hands back your stake, the price of a whole-number line pays for that refund, and a near miss on the wrong side still loses. See responsible gambling for limits and support.