Stepping into the world of betting sports can be akin to learning a new language. One of the most common yet often misunderstood terms you're likely to encounter is a ‘push.' Understanding what a push means is a crucial component in comprehending betting results and refining your wagering strategy.
A ‘push' in sports betting occurs when the contest's outcome is a tie, and the bettor's wager is returned. Essentially, when a push happens, neither the bettor nor the house wins or loses. The term is most commonly associated with point spread and point totals (over/under) bets, where the possibility of a tie or ‘even' outcome is feasible.
Let’s consider an upcoming MLB game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs. The over/under line that is set for the game is set at 10. If you were to take the over at o10 or the under at u10 and the game total were to end up at 10, either bet would be considered a ‘push’ and your initial wager would be returned to you. Therefore, there is no profit or loss involved.
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A push isn't necessarily negative. While it doesn't yield profits, it safeguards your initial wager. However, in a multi-bet scenario like a parlay, a push could reduce the number of bets considered, which might affect the potential winnings. Let’s look at what that would imply involving another game.
Let’s say that we also selected the under from a game between the New York Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers.
Combining these picks would give us a two game parlay with combined odds of +265 as shown below:
In the scenario that the first game ended as a push, let’s say Phillies 7, Cubs 3, then our parlay would not be lost, but rather the first leg involving the Phillies Cubs game would be ‘voided’, meaning that our parlay would then be reduced to a one-leg bet hinging on only the outcome of the other leg.
In this case, your potential winnings would be reduced to -115, as the bet now is only on that singular bet. Your wager would not be returned to you, but your risk would be reduced as you no longer have two bets that you need in order to win, but rather one.
Understanding the possibility of a push and its impact on your parlays and picks can be crucial. Here are a couple of tips:
Understanding a push is a key element in the lexicon of sports betting. While it might seem trivial, being aware of what a push means and how it can impact your wagering strategy can set you up for a successful betting experience.
Interested in decoding more sports betting terminology? Stay tuned for the next part in our series, and don't forget to share this post with fellow betting enthusiasts. Happy betting!
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All odds in this article are from DraftKings Sportsbook.