The NFL world was abuzz Wednesday as NFL owners voted on a proposal to ban the tush push, a play the Super Bowl champion Eagles have become synonymous with.
The tush push wasn't why Philadelphia won the Big Game, but no team executed it better. Complaints mounted among clubs that lacked the personnel to replicate the Eagles' success, with critics arguing the play resembled rugby more than football.
As reports swirled regarding the tush push's future, betting markets and bettors tried to anticipate the outcome.
Jalen Hurts' rushing touchdown prop opened at 12.5 but sank to 9.5 ahead of the vote. He led all quarterbacks with 14 touchdowns last season, with 11 coming from the tush push on the 1-yard line.
Saquon Barkley's rushing touchdown prop grew from 10.5 to 11.5 this week because he would presumably earn more goal-line touches if the play became extinct. Barkley ran for 13 touchdowns in 2024.
"We saw an influx of action on Hurts' under as bettors seemingly expected the tush push to be banned," said Adrian Horton, head of North American trading at theScore Bet. "Between the news of a ban and that money coming in, we moved his total all the way down to 9.5 on Tuesday night ahead of the owners' vote, with Saquon bumped up to 11.5 rushing TDs in a corresponding move."
Many bettors tried to get ahead of the vote when they believed the NFL would ban the tush push. Over 90% of the handle (money wagered) is on Hurts' under rushing touchdowns, and 99% of the handle is on Barkley's over rushing touchdowns. Those are the two most bet rushing touchdown props on theScore Bet/ESPN Bet.
But then came the reversal, and bettors guessed wrong. The vote ended 22-10, two votes shy of the 24 required to ban the play. Thus, the tush push lives on, disappointing many teams and bettors who banked on the play's banishment. Both Hurts and Barkley's rushing touchdown totals have moved to 10.5.
After the league finalized the vote, 45.5% of the bets and 55.9% of the handle have come on Hurts' under touchdown total of 10.5
At least for this season, the tush push will continue to live in the Eagles' playbook.
Sam Oshtry is a sports writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.
