What Happens In NFL Betting For A Tie Game?

Fortunately or unfortunately, ties are a part of sports. So too, then, are they a part of online sports betting.

Whether you’re wondering how ties are resolved in a moneyline NFL betting situation, or you’re wondering how point spread bets resolve a “tie” score, here’s a quick rundown on how ties are graded.

Does Moneyline Void In a Tie?

Generally speaking, a tie in an NFL game results in a voided moneyline bet. 

The only real exception would be a three-way market, where a tie is an explicit outcome that’s available to bet in the market. In this case, a tie would result in a loss for both traditional moneyline sides.

Here’s a quick example. Imagine the Chiefs are playing the Chargers. The Chiefs are a -240 favorite; the Chargers are a +200 underdog. 

This is a traditional two-way market that NFL betting regulars are used to seeing. In this case, a tie would result in a voided bet, with every bettors’ original stake refunded back to their account.

In a three-way market, that same game might be priced as Chiefs -225 and Chargers +180, with a third option of Tie +4000. In this case, because the tie is a bettable outcome, Chiefs -225 and Chargers +180 would both be graded as losers.

What Happens If You Tie Against the Spread In NFL Betting?

In spread betting, a “tie” results in a push. Much like a voided moneyline bet, all bets that are graded as a push return the original principal to their bettors.

It’s not just football where you can find a push in sports betting. But in the case of NFL betting, a push is most common when dealing with major key numbers like three, seven, or 10.

Another quick example: Imagine you bet on the Chiefs -6 against the Chargers. If they win 34-28, that is a Chiefs moneyline win; however, as far as the point spread market is concerned, this is a “tie.”

That results in a push, which returns the exact amount of money that was initially bet. 

What Happens if an NFL Game Ties on a Parlay?

Any leg of a parlay that is graded as a push, no action, or any other kind of voided “tie” is removed from the odds of the parlay. 

When this happens, this doesn’t automatically mean your parlay is a loser; instead, it means your parlay is altered to have a lesser payout, as if that leg never existed at all.

Let’s take one more example. Say you’ve built a three-leg NFL parlay that includes a -300 moneyline favorite, a -200 moneyline favorite, and a point spread favorite with a standard vig of -110. That parlay would price out to about +282, meaning a winning $100 bet would return roughly $282 in profit, plus the original $100 of principal.

If the -200 game resulted in a tie, that leg of the parlay would be graded as a no action. That would reduce your three-leg, +282 parlay to a two-leg, +155 parlay. You’d still win the parlay if the other legs come through, but at a reduced rate of return. It’s as if the no-action leg was never there at all.

For more on the nuances of parlay rules, or just sportsbook rules in general, consider checking out the house rules for BetMGM’s online sportsbook. I highly recommend anyone who wants to bet to read all the rules that apply to the sports they want to bet in. It clarifies a lot of similar questions about ties and no action, too.