Anytime goalscorer is the simplest player market in football: will this player score at any point in the match? It is also the most popular, because it turns ninety minutes into ninety minutes of watching one person.
The three goalscorer markets
| Market | Wins if | Typical price on a leading striker |
|---|---|---|
| Anytime scorer | He scores at any time in the match | 1.70 to 2.50 |
| First scorer | He scores the opening goal of the match | 4.50 to 7.00 |
| Last scorer | He scores the final goal of the match | 4.50 to 7.00 |
All three settle on 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Own goals do not count in any of them: if the opening goal of the match is an own goal, first scorer bets are settled on the next goal scored properly, not voided.
The rule that catches everyone: substitutes
If your player does not take any part in the match, the bet is void and your stake comes back. That much is standard. What varies is the treatment of substitutes, and it varies by market:
- Anytime scorer: the bet stands if he comes on at any point. A player introduced in the 89th minute has one minute to score, and the bet is live.
- First scorer: most bookmakers void the bet if a goal has already been scored before your player came on. Some do not. This is the single most disputed clause in football betting.
Read the operator's rules before backing a squad player. The difference between a void stake and a lost one, repeated across a season, is not trivial.
What the price is built from
The bookmaker starts with how many goals the team is expected to score, then asks what share of them this player takes. Four inputs do most of the work:
- Minutes. A player who starts and plays ninety has roughly twice the opportunity of one who plays forty-five. This is why rotation risk moves prices so sharply.
- Shots, and where from. Volume of shots inside the box is the strongest predictor. A midfielder taking five shots from range is worth less than a striker taking two from six yards.
- Penalties. The designated taker gets a meaningful uplift, because a penalty converts at roughly four times in five. If the usual taker is rested, the price of the deputy should move and often does not immediately.
- Set pieces. A centre-back on corner duty against a small defence is a real goalscorer, priced as a defender.
Where the margin sits
Goalscorer markets carry some of the widest margins in football. Add up the implied probabilities of every player on the anytime board and you will find an overround well above 130 per cent — far more than the 105 or so on the match result. The reason is the same as everywhere else: these bets are placed for enjoyment, in small stakes, and the market bears it.
That does not make them unbackable. It does mean they should be a garnish rather than the main course, and it makes price comparison unusually worthwhile: the spread between bookmakers on the same player is often 10 per cent or more.
Bet builders and scorecast
Goalscorer markets are the backbone of the bet builder: a striker to score, his team to win, over 2.5 goals. The bookmaker prices the combination with the correlation accounted for, so the return is shorter than multiplying the individual prices would suggest — correctly, since a player scoring makes his side winning more likely.
The older version of the same idea is scorecast: first goalscorer plus correct score, priced at 50/1 and beyond. Long odds, wide margin, and popular for exactly that reason.
Reading a goalscorer board
Two habits that improve results more than any tipping service:
- Wait for confirmed line-ups. They land around an hour before kick-off. Backing a striker before team news is paying full price for a bet that might be voided — or worse, for a player starting on the bench.
- Look at the opposition, not just the player. A prolific striker against a side that concedes from crosses is a different bet from the same striker against a deep, compact defence that concedes only from range.
Frequently asked questions
Do own goals count?
No. Own goals are excluded from all goalscorer markets. For first scorer, the market settles on the first non-own goal.
What if my player does not play?
The bet is void and your stake is returned in full.
Does extra time count?
No. Goalscorer markets settle on 90 minutes plus stoppage time unless the market explicitly covers extra time.
Is anytime scorer better value than first scorer?
Usually, yes. The overround on the first scorer board is wider, and the outcome is considerably more specific. Anytime is the more sensible staple.
Related guides: correct score · penalty betting · total goals · football betting