Core betting
Push
A tie against the number — the bet is void and your stake is returned.
If the spread is −7 and the favourite wins by exactly seven, the bet pushes: nobody wins, and the stake comes back. Same for a total of 48 landing on exactly 48.
This is why so many lines carry a half point — the 'hook' — which makes a push impossible and forces a result. Whether a whole number or a half number is better for you depends entirely on how often that exact margin occurs, which is what key numbers are about.
See also
- Hook — The half point attached to a line, as in −7.5 rather than −7.
- Key numbers — The margins that occur far more often than others, mainly 3 and 7 in football.
- Point spread — A margin handicap that makes an uneven matchup close to a coin flip.