Yes, overtime usually counts. At most US books, full-game spreads, totals and two-way moneylines include overtime and extra innings. But "usually" is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Your bet is settled by your sportsbook's house rules, not by what feels fair, and those rules differ from book to book and market to market.
Below are the patterns that show up across licensed books' published house rules: overtime, pushes, postponed and suspended games, players who don't play, voided parlay legs and baseball's official-game rules. Every one of them comes with the same instruction: check your book's house rules before you bet.
- At most US books, full-game bets include overtime and extra innings. Bets labeled regulation, 3-way or 60-minute don't.
- A tie on a two-way bet is a push. You get your stake back.
- Postponed games are usually voided if they aren't played within a set window, often about 48 hours. Baseball windows can be shorter.
- A player prop is usually void if the player doesn't take part. Baseball props often require a start.
- A void or pushed parlay leg usually drops out and the parlay pays on the remaining legs. Same-game parlays can work differently.
House rules are the contract
Every licensed sportsbook publishes house rules, and in at least some states they're filed with the regulator. Massachusetts, for one, posts operators' house rules on the Gaming Commission's website. Those documents decide how every bet gets graded. The bet slip is just the summary.
Here's why reading them matters. At one major book, the general section sets regulation time as the default for spreads and totals. Then its basketball and baseball sections say bets include overtime and extra innings, and the sport-specific rule wins. Read just one section and you'd get the wrong answer. Rules vary by book and by state, so check your book's version.
Does overtime count?
For full-game bets, at most US books, yes:
- Basketball: full-game bets include overtime in the published rules of several licensed books.
- Football: at least one book's rules say overtime is included unless the market description says otherwise.
- Baseball: extra innings count for settlement, apart from individual-inning markets.
- Hockey: two-way moneylines include overtime and the shootout. Regulation (60-minute) and three-way markets don't. One book counts the shootout winner as scoring one goal for settlement.
Quarter and half bets are where rules differ the most. Whether overtime gets added to the fourth quarter or second half depends on the book and the exact market. If the market name says "regulation," "3-way" or "60 minutes," overtime is out.
You bet $110 on Team A -3.5 at -110 and $110 on the under 50.5. Regulation ends 24-24. Team A wins 27-24 in overtime.
Spread: Team A won by 3, not 4. -3.5 loses. Total: 27 + 24 = 51, over 50.5. The under loses.
At regulation you were losing the spread and winning the total. With overtime counted, you lose both: −$220.
That's normal, not a bad beat you can appeal. Read up on how spreads and totals work, and remember that overtime is part of the game you bet on.
Pushes, ties and refunds
When a two-way bet lands exactly on the number, or the game ties and there's no tie option, it's a push. The published house rules cited below grade that as no action and refund your stake. If "Draw" was one of the choices, a tie is a result. Draw wins and everything else loses.
You bet $55 on Team B +3 at -110. Team B loses by exactly 3.
Push. You get your $55 back, with no win and no loss.
One exception: at least one book grades ties in its bet-builder products as losses, not pushes. Those combo products often have their own rules section, so read it.
Postponed and suspended games
Books give an event a window to happen. If it misses the window, bets are void and stakes come back.
| Situation | What happens at most US books | Where it varies |
|---|---|---|
| Game postponed, not played within the window | Void, stake refunded | Window is 48 hours or two calendar days at the books cited; one book uses 12 hours for baseball |
| Game suspended and not finished in time | Moneyline and spread bets void | Bets already decided usually still settle |
| Market already decided before the stoppage | Settles as normal | "Unconditionally determined" wording differs |
| Season futures when games are cancelled | Usually stand | One book refunds if a season is cancelled or postponed more than 180 days |
You bet the first-half over 21.5. The half ends 14-10. In the third quarter the game is suspended and never finished.
Your first-half bet already won at 24 points, so it pays. A full-game moneyline on the same game would be void.
Futures are their own category. They're built to ride through schedule changes, so read the futures section of your book's rules. Our futures guide covers the basics.
Player props when the player doesn't play
At most US books, a player has to take part for a prop to be action. If they don't play, the bet is void. Watch the definitions, though:
- "Took part" can mean one second. One book's basketball rules count any appearance in the official box score. Your player checks in, tweaks an ankle and sits. The prop stands and settles on whatever stats they recorded.
- Baseball props usually need a start. The books cited require a batter to be in the starting lineup and get a plate appearance, or a pitcher to throw a pitch. Coming in as a substitute can void the bet.
- "All bets action" markets stand whether the player plays or not. Read the market label.
- Listed pitchers vary a lot. One book voids a bet if your selected listed pitcher doesn't start. Another treats probable starters as information only, unless the market says "must start." A third voids listed-pitcher moneylines if either starter changes.
For more on how these markets work, see player props explained.
What a void leg does to your parlay
At most US books, a void or pushed leg doesn't kill the parlay. It drops out, the parlay is repriced on the legs that are left, and your full stake stays on. A two-leg parlay with one void leg becomes a straight bet.
$10 on a three-leg parlay, each leg -110. Full payout: $10 × 1.909 × 1.909 × 1.909 = $69.58.
Leg 2 is postponed and voided. The parlay becomes two legs: $10 × 1.909 × 1.909 = $36.45.
Both remaining legs win: you collect $36.45, not $69.58.
Same-game parlays and bet builders are the big exception. Depending on the book and league, a void leg might reprice the ticket or void the whole thing. At one book, a progressive parlay that drops to two legs or fewer is voided entirely. Two-team teasers with a push can be cancelled outright. Before you build one, read the rules in our parlay guide and your book's parlay section.
Baseball's official-game rules
Rain shortens baseball games, so books spell out when a game counts.
- Moneylines: at the books cited, a game is official after five innings, or 4½ if the home team is ahead. One book writes it as 15 outs.
- Run lines and totals: at least two books require the full nine innings (8½ if the home team leads), or the bet is void unless it's already decided.
- Extra innings: they count toward full-game bets.
Rain stops the game after six innings with Team A ahead 3-1. You have Team A on the moneyline and the over 8.5.
At books that use these rules, the moneyline wins (the game is official) and the total is void (nine innings weren't played), so your stake comes back.
How to check your book in five minutes
- Find "House Rules" or "Sports Rules" in your app's help menu or footer.
- Read the general section, then the sport-specific section, because the sport section can override the general one.
- Search for: overtime, postponed, abandoned, participate, listed pitcher, parlay, push.
- Read the market name on your slip. Words like "regulation," "3-way" and "must start" change how it's graded.
- If you're not sure, ask support before you bet, not after.
The bottom line: Most full-game bets include overtime, pushes refund, postponed games void after a set window, props need the player to play, and void parlay legs drop out. But your book's house rules decide, so read them before you put money down.
Frequently asked questions
Does overtime count in sports betting?
For most full-game bets at most US sportsbooks, yes. Full-game spreads, totals and two-way moneylines usually include overtime and extra innings. Markets labeled regulation, 3-way or 60 minutes do not, so check the market name and your book's house rules.
What happens to my bet if a game is postponed?
At most US books, if the game isn't played within a set window, the bet is voided and your stake is refunded. The window is often around 48 hours or two calendar days, but some baseball rules are shorter, and futures usually stand.
What happens to a player prop if the player doesn't play?
At most US books, a prop on a player who does not take part is void and your stake comes back. But any appearance usually counts as taking part, baseball props often require a start, and markets marked all bets action stand either way.
What happens to a parlay if one game is postponed?
At most US books, the postponed leg is voided and the parlay is repriced on the remaining legs, with your full stake still riding. A two-leg parlay becomes a straight bet. Same-game parlays can follow different rules, so check your book.
How many innings make an official baseball game for betting?
For moneylines at the books cited here, five innings, or four and a half if the home team is leading. Run lines and totals usually need nine innings, or eight and a half if the home team leads, or they are void unless already decided.
Know the rules, then check the math.
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Open +EV Calculator →- Encore Boston Harbor In-Person House Rules (205 CMR 247 Exhibit 1) — Massachusetts Gaming Commission
- DraftKings Massachusetts Sportsbook House Rules — Massachusetts Gaming Commission
- Caesars Sportsbook Massachusetts House Rules — Massachusetts Gaming Commission
- BetMGM Massachusetts House Rules — Massachusetts Gaming Commission
- National Council on Problem Gambling — ncpgambling.org
Disclaimer: BeginnerBets provides educational content only. Settlement rules summarized here come from licensed books' published house rules and vary by book, state and market; your sportsbook's current house rules always control. Sports betting involves risk — never wager money you can't afford to lose. Sports betting is legal only in some states, and rules differ by state; check your state's law before you bet. Must be 21+ in most states. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit ncpgambling.org.