When betting on the Over/Under line of a game, you are betting if the teams involved will score more or less total points than the line;
But what would happen if the total Over/Under line was exactly the same as total points scored in a game?
This is when a push occurs. A push is another way of saying that you tied your bet. You didn’t win, but you didn’t lose.
When a push occurs, the bettor is returned their wager, with no money gained or lost from the process.
When betting the Over/Under, make sure to pay close attention to your betting line. If the number ends in .5, then this betting line cannot result in a push because it is impossible to score half of a point.
This is a huge concept to understand, as the .5 is only added to betting lines to ensure that it is not possible to push on these lines.
Before wagering on the Over/Under, make sure to check if your betting line has the .5 or not.
While this concept seems simple enough, each sport is slightly different. Check out how a push would play out in different sports:
- Exact Over/Under in Baseball
When betting the Over/Under in baseball, you’re betting on if the total number of runs scored by each team combined is over or under the betting line.
If the total runs scored in the game is the exact same number as the betting line, the bet results in a push. All money wagered will be returned without a fee or penalty.
If a baseball game is tied at the end of nine innings, the total runs will not be calculated until the conclusion of extra innings.
- Exact Over/Under in Basketball
When betting the Over/Under in baseball, you’re betting on if the amount of total points scored by each team combined is over or under the betting line.
If the total amount of points scored at the end of the game is the exact same as the Over/Under line, the bet will result in a push. The bettor will be refunded 100% of the bet.
If the game is tied at the end of regulation, the points scored in the overtime period will count towards the Over/Under total.
- Exact Over/Under in Football
When betting the Over/Under in football, you’re betting on if the point total between the two teams is over or under the betting line.
If the point total of a game is exactly the same as the Over/Under line, the bet results in a push. All funds that were wagered will be returned, as if it never happened.
If a football game is tied at the end of regulation, the points scored in overtime will count towards the Over/Under total.
Usually, overtime periods are nightmares for bettors who took the “Under”, as the extra time will only increase the chances of the point total hitting the “Over”.
- Exact Over/Under in Soccer
Whenever the Over/Under is the same as the amount of goals in soccer, the wager is returned to the bettor with no penalty.
As always, keep in mind that soccer lines often include the .5 on the end of the line, which will make it impossible for the line to be a push.
While the push concept remains the same in soccer, the Over/Under can be misunderstood because of the ability to tie a soccer game.
In most sports, overtime is used to find a winner if the score is tied after regulation.
Instead of having overtime, most soccer matches will end in a tie, taking away that overtime period that has the potential to impact the Over/Under total.
Things can get very confusing when you are dealing with the rare instances when a soccer match cannot tie.
This occurs in soccer tournaments when the match or aggregate score over two legs is tied.
Usually when a soccer game goes into the two 15-minute periods of extra time to decide a winner, the Over/Under line does not take extra time goals into consideration.
For example, let’s say Arsenal and Barcelona are facing off in Champions League semi-finals with leg one finishing 2-1 to Arsenal.
If the second leg Over/Under set at 3.5 goals, and Barcelona end regulation with a 2-1 lead, the Over/Under is settled here, resulting in an “Under” win regardless of what happens in extra time.
Goals in this extra time period are not counted towards the Over/Under total, which can be quite confusing, especially considering that every other sport does count overtime points towards the Over/Under total.
- Exact Over/Under in MMA/UFC
Many sportsbooks are beginning to offer Over/Under odds in MMA. MMA is much different than many other sports because there are no points to score.
Instead, there are rounds, and bettors can wager when the fight will end. Sportsbooks offer Over/Under betting of how long the fight will last, with Over/Under .5 rounds, 1.5 rounds, and 2.5 rounds typically offered for three-round fights, and with 3.5 and 4.5 being offered as betting lines for title fights and five-round main events.
These numbers represent how long you can bet that a fight will go. Each MMA fight either goes all three/five rounds unless there is a knockout or submission. Whenever a knockout or submission is inflicted, the clock stops.
The only way that the Over/Under of a MMA event can be the exact over/under of a betting line is if the contest ends exactly at :30, 1:30. 2:30. 3:30, or 4:30 on the fight clock. Anything other than these five results would fall in either the Under or Over category.