First, last and anytime goalscorer bets are among the most popular types of wagers that people place online. While betting on which team you think will win a specific match is pretty much the default option in any sportsbook, lots of punters choose to dig a little deeper into the stats and bet on more niche markets.
Goalscorer bets don’t just expect you to decide which team scores – they expect you to choose which player is likely to put those winning points away. And, with the three main types of goalscorer bets we’ll look at today, you can also decide when those players are likely to score.
As always, there is risk involved when placing niche football bets, so it’s always a good idea to practice responsible betting habits and to look carefully at projected loss and return. Let’s check out what goalscorer bets look like in practice, and discuss whether or not they are the right choice for you.
Check out football betting markets and more at Tonybet.
What is a goalscorer bet?
With a goalscorer bet, you choose or back a specific player in any match, regardless of the team they’re playing for, to score a goal within that match. However, as you browse odds on Tonybet, you’ll notice that there are typically three different ways to back a goalscorer during a match of your choice. These three markets are:
- First goalscorer
- Last goalscorer
- Anytime goalscorer
We’ll cover all three of these options in a little more detail below. The idea behind the goalscorer bet isn’t to decide which way you think the scoreline will go, but who will make the biggest waves during a match. Even if you were to pick a goalscorer for the losing side, your wager would still convert if, say, you chose them to score the first goal of the match. If their team then went on to lose 3-1, for instance, the bet you made will still be valid.
For now, let’s look at a quick example. Say that you want to bet on Manchester United vs Arsenal, but you want to choose a goalscorer instead of a final outcome market.
In this scenario, you might bet on Bryan Mbeumo for United, because he’s one of the most reliable goalscorers in recent times. Or, you might bet on Mason Mount, who still scores goals but not as frequently as Mbeumo. Therefore, Mount’s odds may be longer than Mbeumo for this type of wager.
What to keep in mind
While goalscorer bets seem fairly simple in writing (and often in practice), there are still a few quick terms and points to keep in mind before you start placing real-money bets.
For example, you may not always be covered for goalscorer bets if a match goes into extra time (i.e., beyond 90 minutes). It’s worth checking the exact parameters and limits for your specific goalscorer bet – check if it only applies to the base 90 minutes. Tonybet frequently allows overtime scores in certain cases – you’ll be able to see this in our sportsbook with the note ‘(incl. overtime)’ if that rule is valid. In this case, you will usually need to decide if a player will score and whether or not it will be in the first 90 minutes.
It’s also worth looking out for substitute rules. If, say, the player you choose for your goalscorer bet doesn’t start the match, your wager is usually void. However, if they come on as a sub and the first goal hasn’t been scored yet, your bet will sometimes be valid to open back up.
With these slight quirks explained, let’s take a closer look at the three main types of goalscorer bets you’ll be able to place at Tonybet.
First goalscorer explained
Betting on the first goalscorer simply means that you choose which player you think will score the first goal in the game, regardless of the side they play for, and whether or not they win.
Choosing the first goalscorer can be tricky as you need to consider more than just scoring form. Many punters focus on strategic players who are usually set up for goals, as well as opportunistic strikers. The best way to tackle a first goalscorer bet is to look back at form, check current goalscoring leagues, and consider player fitness.
The first goal can occur at any time – meaning that if it’s a 0-0 draw all the way to the 90th minute, then under Tonybet’s overtime rule, you could still convert on this wager if your player scores after the main game ends.
Let’s look at an example of a match with a first goalscorer bet option available at Tonybet at the time of writing. By heading to a match and selecting the ‘Scorers’ tab, you can scroll through all the markets we have available in that specific game.
We’re using Brighton vs Liverpool in the Premier League as an example for this bet type. Here, you’ll find players with decimal odds such as James Milner (20), Cody Gakpo (9.4) and Danny Wellbeck (6.2), all based on the likelihood that they will score the first goal (if there is one!).
Last goalscorer explained
The last goalscorer in a match is fairly self-explanatory, but it’s a player you pick who you think will make the last (and possibly only) successful strike in the game. Like the first goalscorer bet, the last goalscorer bet can convert at any time – for example, at the start of a match that only goes to 1-0, or in overtime (if the bet covers it).
Strategies for picking the last goalscorer will vary just like first goalscorer options. Here, punters sometimes consider who’s on the bench and likely to come on late in play, or even look at in-play stats once a specific team are on the back foot and keen to fight back.
Let’s say that you want to bet on the last goalscorer in a Serie A match between AC Milan and Torino. Heading to the ‘Scorers’ tab in the sportsbook, you’ll find last goalscorer odds (based on a real match at the time of writing) for Adrien Rabiot (8.6), Che Adams (12) and Christian Pulisic (4.7).
Anytime goalscorer explained
The anytime goalscorer bet doesn’t consider when a player is likely to score, simply that they will do so before the match comes to an end. At Tonybet, it’s worth looking at anytime goalscorer and ‘to score (incl. overtime)’ bets so that you don’t end up disappointed if your pick doesn’t convert due to the 90-minutes rule.
Heading to the UEFA Europa League for our example of what you’ll find in the Tonybet lineup for this particular market, let’s consider a real match between FC Porto and VfB Stuttgart that has yet to take place at the time of writing.
In this market category, we list players such as Dan-Axel Zagadou (12), Chris Führich (6) and Jamie Leweling (5). The overtime inclusive odds for the players gets a little more intricate, as there are conditions attached where you can decide if a player will definitely score after the 90 minutes or not.
Regardless of which goalscorer bets you place, once you log into Tonybet, you can add to your bet builder as you browse the different markets and odds, meaning that you won’t have to keep going backwards and forwards between different pages and windows.
If you need any help using the sportsbook or betting windows, always reach out to the Tonybet team for advice. The same applies if you need support managing your betting or gambling – for instance, by setting safe limits.
Keep up to date with the odds at Tonybet
Tonybet’s odds dive deep into football statistics, meaning that we always meet fans more than halfway when it comes to some of the more niche opportunities. And, with our bet builder, you can create your own bet slips to cover broad and niche markets however you wish.
Betting on goalscorers can be risky, but for some punters, doing so adds an extra dimension to the sportsbook experience. Always make sure that you bet responsibly and only use real money that you can feasibly afford.
Explore goalscorers odds and full match markets here at Tonybet.
Could TonyBet please clarify their stance on these points before publishing?
