What Is a Price Push in Betting?

A price push is a term used in betting to describe when a bookmaker increases the odds on a particular market. A market is a type of bet that involves betting on a specific aspect or outcome of an event, such as a sports match, a horse race, or a political election. A price push is also known as a drift, an odds boost, or an odds enhancement.

How Does a Price Push Happen?

A price push happens when there is a low demand or a high supply for a certain market in an event. A low demand or a high supply can be caused by various factors and variables, such as:

• A small number of bettors placing their bets on a certain market, which increases the odds and the payout for that market.
• A piece of information or a rumor that influences the bettors’ behavior or preference, such as an injury, a suspension, a weather condition, or a team lineup.
• A mistake or an error made by the bookmaker or the odds compiler, such as a wrong calculation, a wrong price, or a wrong market.
• A manipulation or a fraud committed by the bettors or the insiders, such as a match fixing, a doping, or a bribery.

For example, suppose there is a football game between Team A and Team B. The odds for each team are:

• Team A: 2/1
• Team B: 3/1

The total amount of money wagered on each team is:

• Team A: $200
• Team B: $100

The total amount of money wagered on the game is $300. The bookmaker’s profit margin is 10%, which means it keeps $30 and pays out $270 to the winners.

If Team A wins, the bookmaker has to pay out $200 x (2/1 + 1) = $600 to the bettors who backed Team A. The bookmaker’s loss is $600 – $200 = $400.

If Team B wins, the bookmaker has to pay out $100 x (3/1 + 1) = $400 to the bettors who backed Team B. The bookmaker’s loss is $400 – $100 = $300.

As you can see, the bookmaker loses money if either team wins. To prevent this, the bookmaker may increase the odds for both teams to attract more bets on them. This is a price push situation, as the bookmaker pushes up the prices for both teams.

For example, suppose the bookmaker increases the odds for both teams to:

• Team A: 3/1
• Team B: 4/1

The total amount of money wagered on each team is:

• Team A: $300
• Team B: $200

The total amount of money wagered on the game is $500. The bookmaker’s profit margin is 10%, which means it keeps $50 and pays out $450 to the winners.

If Team A wins, the bookmaker has to pay out $300 x (3/1 + 1) = $1200 to the bettors who backed Team A. The bookmaker’s loss is $1200 – $300 = $900.

If Team B wins, the bookmaker has to pay out $200 x (4/1 + 1) = $1000 to the bettors who backed Team B. The bookmaker’s loss is $1000 – $200 = $800.

As you can see, the bookmaker still loses money if either team wins. However, by increasing the odds for both teams, the bookmaker has reduced its potential losses from $400 and $300 to $900 and $800 respectively.

What are the Benefits and Drawbacks of Price Push?

Price push has some benefits and drawbacks that you should be aware of before placing your bets. Some of the benefits are:

• It can offer better value and higher payouts than other markets in an event, as you can bet on higher odds and receive more money if your bet is successful.
• It can offer more challenge and excitement than other markets in an event, as you can bet on more difficult or unlikely outcomes that have a lower chance of winning.
• It can offer more opportunity and variety than other markets in an event, as you can bet on different aspects or outcomes that may not be available elsewhere.

Some of the drawbacks are:

• It can be riskier and more costly than other markets in an event, as you may face a higher degree of uncertainty and volatility, or a lower degree of reliability and validity.
• It can be influenced by external factors and variables that are beyond your control, such as weather conditions, track conditions, animal behavior, human error, or technical issues.
• It can be addictive and harmful, as you may be tempted to bet more than you can afford to lose, or to bet on markets that have negative social or ethical implications.

How to Bet on Price Push?

Betting on price push can be done by following some of the following tips and advice:

• You should bet on something you are interested in and knowledgeable about, doing some research and having some criteria for your bets.
• You should bet on realistic and probable outcomes, avoiding long shots or unlikely outcomes that have a low chance of winning.
• You should bet on facts, statistics, and trends, rather than on impulse, intuition, or gut feeling.
• You should bet within your means and budget, setting a limit and sticking to it.
• You should bet with a plan, discipline, and bankroll management, risking a fixed percentage or amount on each bet.
• You should bet with a record keeping, tracking, and evaluation of your results, learning from your mistakes or failures.

To Sum Up

Price push is a term used in betting to describe when a bookmaker increases the odds on a particular market. Price push happens when there is a low demand or a high supply for a certain market in an event. Price push affects the odds and the payouts for both the favored and the unfavored markets in an event. Price push has some benefits and drawbacks that you should be aware of before placing your bets. Betting on price push can be done by following some of the tips and advice listed above.