What happens if my bet pushes in a parlay?
Understand the impact of pushes in parlays and discover how arbitrage betting can protect your profits.
What happens if my bet pushes in a parlay?
If your bet pushes in a parlay, that leg is considered a tie and is removed from the parlay, often reducing the number of legs in your bet without losing your stake on that leg.
A push in a parlay does not mean a loss; instead, it adjusts the bet by removing the push leg and recalculating the payout based on the remaining legs.
Understanding how pushes affect parlays can be confusing, but arbitrage betting removes this guesswork by focusing on guaranteed profits regardless of outcomes.
Understanding What a Push Means in Parlays
In sports betting, a push occurs when a selected outcome ends exactly on the betting line, such as a point spread or total. In a parlay, if one leg pushes, that leg is usually removed from the parlay and the bet continues with the remaining legs. This means your parlay effectively becomes shorter, and the payout odds are recalculated accordingly.
- •Push means no win or loss on that specific leg
- •The parlay payout adjusts based on the remaining legs
- •Your original stake remains at risk on the adjusted parlay
Common Types of Pushes in Parlays
Pushes most commonly happen with point spreads or totals where the final score lands exactly on the line. For example, if you bet a team -3 and they win by exactly 3 points, that leg pushes.
- →Point spread pushes occur when the margin matches the spread
- →Totals push when the combined score equals the set total
- →Moneyline bets rarely push except in rare void circumstances
💡Example of a Push in a 3-Leg Parlay
Suppose you have a 3-leg parlay with odds of 1.90, 1.85, and 1.80. If the second leg pushes, the parlay becomes a 2-leg parlay with odds recalculated using just the first and third legs.
New parlay odds = 1.90 x 1.80 = 3.42 instead of the original 1.90 x 1.85 x 1.80 = 6.33
How Pushes Impact Your Payout and Risk
When a push occurs, the payout typically decreases because the number of legs in the parlay is reduced. However, the risk also decreases since fewer outcomes need to succeed. The original stake is still at risk, but the bet is recalibrated to the new odds. This can be frustrating for bettors expecting a certain return, but it prevents the entire parlay from losing due to a single tie.
- •Payout decreases with fewer legs
- •Risk decreases as fewer results are needed
- •Stake remains fully at risk on adjusted parlay
Why Some Bettors Find Pushes Frustrating
Pushes can feel like lost opportunities because they reduce the potential payout without returning any portion of the stake. This is especially true in large parlays where every leg counts. However, the push mechanism protects bettors from losing the entire parlay on a tied event.
- →Reduces excitement of full payout
- →Can feel like a partial setback
- →Still better than losing the whole bet
Difference Between Pushes and Voids in Parlays
While pushes remove a leg from the parlay without refunding the stake, voids completely remove the leg and refund the stake for that leg. Voids often happen due to cancellations or postponed games. Understanding this difference is important because voids return your stake for that leg, whereas pushes simply adjust the payout odds.
- •Pushes adjust the parlay by removing the leg but keep the stake intact
- •Voids refund the stake on the voided leg
- •Voids generally due to cancellations, pushes due to tied results
How This Affects Your Overall Bet
A void can sometimes feel more favorable since you get your stake back on that leg, reducing your total risk. Pushes, on the other hand, require careful attention to how the payout odds change, which can be complex for some bettors.
- →Voids reduce total risk by refunding stake
- →Pushes require recalculating odds
- →Both protect bettors from unfair losses
Calculating Parlay Payouts After a Push
After a push, you must recalculate your parlay odds by multiplying the odds of the remaining legs. This can be complicated, especially in parlays with many legs or mixed bet types. Automated tools like ArbitUp help simplify these calculations and ensure you understand your updated potential payout instantly.
- •Remove push leg odds from calculation
- •Multiply remaining leg odds for new payout
- •Use tools to automate complex recalculations
💡Payout Calculation Example
If you had a 4-leg parlay with odds 2.0, 1.9, 1.8, and 1.7 and the third leg pushes, your new odds are 2.0 x 1.9 x 1.7 = 6.46 rather than the original 2.0 x 1.9 x 1.8 x 1.7 = 11.63.
New payout = 2.0 x 1.9 x 1.7 = 6.46
Why Arbitrage Betting is a Superior Alternative
Parlays with pushes can complicate payouts and increase uncertainty. Arbitrage betting eliminates this uncertainty by allowing bettors to lock in guaranteed profits regardless of outcomes. Instead of risking multiple legs and dealing with pushes, arbitrage uses differing odds across sportsbooks to ensure a secure return. Tools like ArbitUp automate the detection and calculation of arbitrage opportunities, making this approach accessible and less risky compared to parlays.
- •Arbitrage guarantees profit regardless of results
- •No risk of push complications or recalculations
- •Automation tools simplify finding and executing bets
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ⚠️Not understanding that a push removes a leg but doesn’t void the bet, leading to confusion over payouts
- ⚠️Failing to recalculate parlay odds correctly after a push, causing incorrect expectations of winnings
- ⚠️Assuming pushes refund part of the stake, which is usually not the case in parlays
- ⚠️Confusing pushes with voids, which have different impacts on the bet
- ⚠️Overestimating the effect of a push and abandoning potentially profitable parlays
- ⚠️Ignoring how pushes affect parlay risk and payout structure
- ⚠️Not using tools to automate complex parlay adjustments, increasing calculation errors
The Power of Arbitrage Betting
Arbitrage betting removes the guesswork and risk associated with unpredictable events like pushes by securing guaranteed profits across multiple sportsbooks.
- ✓Eliminates uncertainty from pushes and ties
- ✓Secures guaranteed returns regardless of event outcome
- ✓Simplifies betting with automated tools for calculations
Get Started with ArbitUp
Ready to start earning guaranteed profits?
ArbitUp is the best and most affordable option for automating arbitrage calculations and spotting opportunities quickly.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
This content is for entertainment and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Sports betting involves substantial risk. Only bet with money you can afford to lose. See our Terms of Service for complete legal disclaimers.