Goalscorer betting explained - guide & tips
Delving into markets you most enjoy is what makes gambling such a popular pastime. Goalscorer betting takes many forms, and it covers many sports. Although it is a prominent football market, you can apply the same premise to other sports where a pivotal moment occurs, such as a touchdown or try.
How does goalscorer betting work
Goalscorer betting revolves around the player that gets their name on the scoresheet. It could be the first, last or anytime goalscorer. Either way, we'll give you a rundown of each market, so you're fully equipped with all the knowledge you need to explore the full range of goalscorer betting.
First goalscorer
First goalscorer tends to see the most action. Usually, it is combined with other bets, such as wincast or scorecast betting. It works in a self-explanatory way. Usually, attacking players such as strikers or goalscoring midfielders will most likely break any deadlock and this is reflected in the betting odds.
It's a somewhat unique market in the sense that although it favours the strikers, other players can land on the scoresheet too. If a defender goes up for a corner and scores a header, the first goalscorer odds will provide some value. Again, this depends on the game. It could be deadlocked for an hour, or the other team might get a penalty in the opening 40 seconds.
Last goalscorer
There are dozens of last goalscorer markets. In the same way that there are dozens of first goalscorer markets. It can be more unpredictable and depends wholly on the game's score. For instance, if one team is up 4-0, a defender from that team might come up for a corner, whereas they wouldn't if the game was more cagey. Likewise, a midfielder who doesn't usually shoot might let one fly from a long distance as the team has such a commanding lead.
There are hundreds of possibilities to consider, and no strategy will help you make money from your first, last or anytime goalscorer bet. Gamblers enjoy the last goalscorer bet because it keeps the game interesting until the very end. With a first goalscorer bet, your wager could be over within 30 seconds of the first whistle.
Anytime goalscorer
In the same way football bettors enjoy placing a last goalscorer bet, anytime goalscorer works similarly. Minus extenuating circumstances such as the player being substituted, sent off or going off injured, your anytime bet will usually remain valid as long as the player remains in the game. With any goalscorer bet, factoring in the player's injury, suspension or probability of them staying in for the whole game is crucial to your bet. Anytime goalscorer gives you more flexibility than first goalscorer, especially if the game is action-packed and full of goals.
How to place a goalscorer bet on Leovegas
If you're looking to place a goalscorer bet, LeoVegas has made it straightforward and as user-friendly as possible. Simply open the sports betting section of the LeoVegas site, where you can explore different markets (whether you are on a desktop or mobile device). Next, select the game you'd like to place a bet on, and then you'll find a list of the players.
Strikers and top goalscorers will be a lot higher up this list, and it'll usually make its way down to the lowest-scoring players in the team. Once you have chosen, you can click on the player, and the market will appear. It'll be divided into first, anytime and last goalscorer. While some bettors might combine them to stack up the odds, you'll usually find relatively high odds considering how many possibilities are in play at any given time during a live game.
Good to know
While strikers might have a better statistical chance of scoring on the pitch, there's nothing to state that they'll be the first to get their names on the scoresheet. It can depend on the flow of play and the tactics with which each team starts the game. It can even boil down to the player who takes the penalties for each team, which is the sort of research people who prefer to place a goalscorer bet will undertake before they place their bet.
Regardless of whether you spend hours online delving into statistics and data and think you've found a guaranteed winner, gambling doesn't work like that. While some statistics can give you a good indicator of how a goalscorer bet might play out, it's not that simple in any market. Once you understand that the only thing guaranteed about any bet is that it's not a way to make a profit, you can get a better feel for how gambling should be enjoyed — as a small bit of fun that isn’t taken too seriously.
Summary
Goalscorer betting rose as a significant market when online bookmakers and mobile sports betting became the most prominent ways to bet. Although the first goalscorer doesn't fall into this category, other goalscorer bets are able to provide an extra bit of excitement to your viewing. If you bet on anytime goalscorer or last goalscorer, the bet could come in at any point within 90 minutes.
You can lean toward a specific player, especially high-scoring, high-quality strikers, but it can be a total stroke of random luck that dictates the goalscorer. However, if the game finishes 0-0, then nobody's goalscorer bet comes in. It truly is the luck of the draw. With any team game, any individual market is notoriously difficult to call correctly. There are 22 players on the pitch in football, and any one of them can score. In rare circumstances, the goalkeeper can score too.
While there is a compelling range of markets you can choose from in football betting, with more added each season, it is essential not to lose focus. Remember that betting is an additional pastime and shouldn't be seen as a source of income, nor should you spend too much time or money placing football bets. Understanding the markets and how to bet safely should be the cornerstone of any betting strategy.