A push leaves you feeling nothing. A void of emotion where something should be. Where is the euphoria of sticking it to the bookmakers and taking their money? Where is the crushing, defeated feeling of handing over your hard-earned cash to someone who really doesn’t need it?
“CAN I AT LEAST HAVE THE TIME BACK THAT I WASTED IN THINKING ABOUT AND PLACING THAT BET?”
“SORRY, SIR/MADAM. ALL OF OUR BETS ARE TIME-BOUND WE’RE AFRAID. ONCE YOU’VE SPENT THAT TIME, IT CAN’T BE RETURNED TO YOU. YOU CAN HAVE YOUR MONEY BACK THOUGH…”
“SWEET – YOU GOT ANY OTHER TASTY BETTING LINES TODAY?”
SO, WHAT IS A PUSH BET?
A push bet is when the outcome of any bet you make is a tie.
Not the outcome of a game between two teams or the result of other sporting events.
THE BET
The agreement made between you and your chosen sportsbook.
The term push may be familiar to you if you have ever played Blackjack. The dealer and the player tie, and the bet is returned.
The concept is much the same in sports betting.
YOU MAY ALSO HAVE HEARD IT SAID THAT A BET HAS “NO ACTION”
This is the same thing.
The sportsbook will set a number they believe represents the expected outcome of a game. They do this using their diabolical algorithms and armies of spies and information gatherers.
You, with no resources to speak of, just your cunning and uncanny instincts, choose the same exact number.
If you’re smart, you’ve also created an NBA strategy, but that’s another article. Literally.
We are most likely to come across push bets when betting on sports that use point spreads. So primarily football or basketball games. But there are others. Hockey games and baseball spring to mind.
In soccer, there will almost always be a betting line that predicts the tie or “draw”. It is generally accepted that the games are often so dull and low-scoring that this is deemed a necessity.
A point spread bet is essentially a way to level the playing field for teams in betting by handicapping the better team.
Read – What is line betting NBA? – and become one of the world’s leading experts in just a few minutes.
Example:
Atlanta Hawks (Go Hawks!) -7
New York Knickerbockers +7
We are going to place a bet on the favored team – the Atlanta Hawks (of course we are. We would never back the Knickerbockers)
The minus (-) sign tells us that they are the favorites and the number (7) tells us that the sportsbook is giving them a handicap of seven points that they have to overcome if we bet on them.
Final result:
Atlanta Hawks 117 – 95 New York Knickerbockers
As we can see, the Atlanta Hawks (Go Hawks!) overcame that 7-point handicap to give the Big Apple’s least appealing team a good hammering.
If we are temporarily insane and choose to place a bet on the despicable Knickerbockers, then they have a 7-point lead.
As long as they don’t lose by more than 7 points, the bet will be a winner.
Final result:
Atlanta Hawks 117 – 112 New York Knickerbockers
The abysmal “Knicks” still lost but the mighty Hawks were feeling lenient that day. They lost by less than the 7 extra points they were given, so any bet on them would still be a winner.
Final result:
Atlanta Hawks 117 – 110 New York Knickerbockers
Now, we can see that neither side has exceeded their handicap.
The majestic Hawks needed to win by more than 7 for a winning ticket and the lowly Knickerbockers needed to lose by less than 7.
Neither thing happened.
It was honors-even for the purposes of the wager and so it is deemed a push and all bets are returned.
Nobody wins. Nobody loses.
IT WAS ALL FOR NOTHING…
BUT WAIT!
Is there nothing that can be done to prevent this colossal waste of time and effort?
Actually, there is. Most point spread betting lines that you will come across incorporate a half-point. That way, the bet can never be a push.
Our example from earlier would now look like this:
Atlanta Hawks (Go Hawks!) -7.5
New Your Knickerbockers +7.5
Clearly, there is no possibility of half-points in basketball. This alteration means that the result can no longer be a push.
EITHER A TEAM PASSES THEIR TARGET OR THEY DON’T
The half-point means they can no longer land squarely on it. So, you can expect the majority of point spread bets to employ this tactic. But there are still those that don’t.
PUSH BETS IN OVER/UNDER SPORTS BETTING
No doubt, using your comprehensive, exhaustively researched NBA over/under strategy, you have considered push bets…
They are even easier to grasp in this situation. An over/under bet is simply one where the sports bettor predicts whether the combined total score of the match will be over or under the designated amount.
A push is declared if the numbers are the same.
Here again, most online sportsbooks negate this issue by introducing half-points.
Example:
Detroit Pistons @ Milwaukee Bucks
225.5
Let’s say you think these 2 teams can’t score to save their lives and bet the under
Final result:
Detroit Pistons 110 – 105 Milwaukee Bucks
Combined total = 215. You win
Final result:
Detroit Pistons 115 – 118 Milwaukee Bucks
Combined total = 233. You lose
HOW DOES A PUSH AFFECT A PARLAY TICKET?
Now then.
If you have never read any of our articles here before then we will give you a pass this once.
But if you’ve been here before and are still messing around with parlays then what do you think you’re playing at?
For those of you with that pass and wondering – What is a parlay bet? – Click the link. Read all about why you should have nothing more to do with them and then come back here. You can repent later if you feel the need.
SHOWER AT LEAST…
If you must know – here is a brief, begrudging synopsis.
A parlay is a bet where numerous bets are grouped together to make up one larger bet. The logic is that, should they all come in (they won’t) then you stand to win exponentially more money than if you had placed those bets individually.
Bookmakers rake in more money from losing parlay bets than anywhere else. They are metaphorically and literally wetting themselves with joy when you insist on giving them your money this way. Think Mr. Burns pressing his fingertips together.
All the bets in the group have to win for the ticket to be a winner. So, what happens if one of them is a push?
Well, the last thing they want to do is give back the stake that they are almost guaranteed to keep once the games are played. Instead, the bet in question is simply removed from your parlay. Re-calculate the odds accordingly and the ticket stands. Your “potential” payout is decreased but that doesn’t really matter.
You won’t win anyway
Enough of this filth.
FINAL THOUGHTS
When a bet pushes, it’s like pressing the reset button.
It’s null. It’s void.
Sure, you get to go again but the flat-feeling left by a push is a peculiar one.
Maybe we’re just adrenaline junkies.
Seriously though, the thrill of sports betting is real. It livens up any mediocre encounter. Gives you skin in the game. A stake (literally) in the outcome.
But that feeling has to be monitored and assessed carefully.
We humans are fragile creatures at times. We yield to our base desires and whims all too easily. We can’t all have iron-clad willpower.
Temptation is real. And if it gets its hooks into you, nothing is more tempting than a spot of sports wagering. We can talk ourselves into going that bit deeper into the gaping maw if we try hard enough. In fact, it’s not hard at all. Justifying addictive behavior to ourselves is frighteningly easy at times.
BELIEVE US. WE’VE BEEN THERE…
Keep a close eye on your betting. If you cannot view the situation objectively, ask friends and family if they think you may have a gambling problem.
Ask yourself these questions and answer honestly.
There is no point in lying to yourself:
Am I betting for entertainment purposes only?
Can I afford to lose the money I am wagering?
Could I stop betting right now and never do it again?
Am I chasing after earlier losses by making new wagers?
Has my gambling affected the relationships in my life?
If so, how?
Follow the golden rules.
Never bet more than you can afford to lose
WHEN THE FUN STOPS, STOP
Look after yourselves and each other.
It’s a crazy world out there. Peace
