First Goalscorer Bets Explained

Sports betting has become more popular than ever and this is mainly down to the sheer quantity of bets on offer and the types of bets available.  Bettors can bet on the outcome of matches, team bets and player bets.

Among those popular betting markets is the ‘First Goalscorer’ bet which requires bettors to place a wager on who they think will score the first goal in a match. This bet appeals to keen football fans as it offers excitement with the potential for high profits.

During this article you will explore what a First Goalscorer bet is, what rules apply to the bet, how to place one and mistakes to avoid when placing a First Goalscorer bet.

First Goalscorer Bets: The Basics

This type of bet is as you would guess, you’re going to place a bet on who you think is going to score the first goal. Obviously, this bet type applies to football but can also be done with sports such as hockey and rugby (that would be first try scorer but the same principle applies).

Pretty much every bookie offers this type of bet and when you choose a match to bet on, you will be provided with a list of players for both teams and the odds associated with them scoring first.

There’s three key parts to a First Goalscorer bet:

• Player: You select which player you predict to score the first goal in a match.
• Odds: The bookies will assign odds to each player based on the likelihood of that player scoring the first goal. These odds can differ vastly based on a player’s scoring record and what position they play in. A defender might be given odds of 29 (28/1) but a high profile striker could be given odds of 4 (3/1).
  
• Potential Returns: The maths for calculating winnings is very straight forward with a First Goalscorer bet. You simply multiply your stake by the odds taken. So, a £10 bet on a player with odds of 4 (3/1) would return £40 if that player scored the first goal.
  

First Goalscorer Bet Rules

To be fair, as this type of bet is straight forward, there really aren’t that many rules you need to consider but let’s have a look at the standard rules:

No Goals: You guessed it, if there’s no goals scored, your bet loses

Own Goals: The general rule of thumb is that own goals don’t count towards goalscorer bets. If the first goal is an own goal, the bet continues to run until the first proper goal is scored.  A goal is deemed an own goal if it is officially declared on the day of the match. Later decisions by the Dubious Goals Committee don’t affect the bet settlement.

Non Starter: If your chosen player doesn’t start the match and a goal is scored before they come on, your bet is voided and you get your stake back.  However, the exact rules can vary depending on the bookmaker, so it's always best to check the specific terms and conditions of the betting site you're using.

Substitutes: If your player is a substitute and comes on when the game has no goals scored, your bet still remains active.  On the other hand, if the game is 0-0 and your player gets substituted off, the bet will lose.

Game Duration: The majority of bookmakers limit First Goalscorer bets to 90 minutes, plus injury time.  It’s unusual for the bet to include extra time or penalties in tournaments.  However, it’s always worth checking the bookies terms in case they allow it.

Considerations Before Placing A First Goalscorer Bet

Picking your First Goalscorer bet is the critical part of your betting strategy.  It can mean the difference between success and failure.  It isn’t always about picking the best striker. A bit of research can go a long way so here’s some things you might want to consider when making your choices.

Player Selection

• Form: If you’re keen on a particular player, check their recent form and compare it to other players in the same game. An in-form player is more likely to score. Another consideration is who takes the penalties for a team.
• Player Position: Logic would suggest that attacking midfielders and strikers are the more likely to score goals and that’s a fair assumption. That doesn’t mean you should discount other players though. There are plenty of defenders who are set-piece specialists or take free kicks in dangerous areas. These players will also usually have longer odds providing you with potentially better odds and returns if the bet wins.
  

Team Selection

• Starting 11: Firstly, don’t place your bet too early. It’s better to wait until the team line-ups are announced so you know your player is starting. Placing a bet on a substitute is a very risky strategy as you have no guarantees they will play and even if they do get on, it may be too late to score or the first goal may have already been scored.
• Style of Play: Lots of teams have a different strategy and approach in their style of play. Some will be aggressive and some may play defensive if the team they are playing are much stronger. Teams that use a high press and attack games are more likely to score goals.
  

Opposition

• Injuries: Check to see if a team are missing any players through injury or suspension. If a team are missing their usual goalkeeper or a key defender, it could be a good opportunity to pick an attacking player from the opposing team to score first.
• Defence: Have a quick look at a team's recent defensive record. Some teams have poor records when it comes to conceding goals and if they are known to concede early in games, it might be a good time to do a First Goalscorer bet.
  

Placing A First Goalscorer Bet

The markets for placing this bet will be slightly different depending on which bookies you use.  However, the process will always be very similar and pretty straight forward.

Let’s have a look at a couple of popular bookmakers websites to see how to place the First Goalscorer bets.  We will use a real example of an English Football League Cup fixture between Liverpool and West Ham.

Bet365

Bet365 don’t mess about and provide multiple ways to place the bet.  The same market is available on the Popular, Bet Builder and Player tabs as can be seen below:

You’ve done your analysis and you fancy Diogo Jota to have a good cup run.  The next step is really simple, just click on the odds against Jota in the ‘First’ column.  The bet slip will open and show the odds so you just need to choose your stake and click the Place Bet option and you’re done.

Important: You can see from the above image that there is a tick box for ‘Void if player does not start’ selected. Leaving this alone is the sensible option just in case he doesn’t start the game.  However, if you have knowledge that suggests he will definitely be coming on if he doesn’t start, you could choose to untick that option.  Again, this is usually recommended though.

Sky Bet

Sky don’t offer the multiple options that Bet365 do but they do offer the First Goalscorer bet option.  Once you have chosen the match you’re interested in, just click on the player tab and the first option is the ‘Goalscorers’ betting market. 

As before, just choose your player from the ‘First’ column and place your bet.

Pitfalls To Avoid With First Goalscorer Bets

Whilst First Goalscorer bets are straight forward and have the potential to reward well, they can incur risks.  Let’s look at some common pitfalls and how you might avoid them.

Research: Always do your analysis before placing bets. A common mistake made by punters is that they don’t use the information available to them. It’s worth checking recent form of players, player injuries, starting line-ups and recent trends.

Emotion:  Don’t let your heart rule your head when placing bets. Placing bets on your favourite team or player can lead to making bad decisions and potential losses.  Use your research to make informed decisions.

Don’t Dismiss Players:  A lot of bettors get pulled towards the star players when looking at placing First Goalscorer bets.  Doing this doesn’t always offer good value to customers.  Have a look at the form of the lessor known players to see if they offer value and have a good chance of getting you a result.

Best Odds:  Always shop around with the bookies before placing a bet.  Some bookies will offer bets than others.  It’s also worth looking out for price boosts, enhanced odds offers and promotions across the bookies.  Free bets will also increase your bankroll without the risk of losing your own money.  These can give bettors much better value and increase potential returns.

Advantages & Disadvantages Of First Goalscorer Bets

Advantages

Good Returns:  The potential returns from First Goalscorer bets can be generous because it can be harder to predict than a match result.  This can provide great returns if your bet comes in.

Excitement:  These bets can be both engaging and fun as you remain focused on the game to see if there’s a goal and who scores it.

Knowledge: This is where bettors with a strong knowledge of the game can have an advantage.  Knowing about different teams and players equips you to make informed decisions when placing your First Goalscorer bets.

Amount of Options:  Most bookies will offer this type of bet on pretty much all football matches.  This gives punters a huge pool to dip into and is especially useful if you known about particular teams and players.  

Disadvantages

Increased Risk: Because you’re relying on one event within a football match, this makes predictions harder and increases the risk of losses.

Variance: Even if you have a strong knowledge of the game you’re looking at betting on, First Goalscorer bets have a high level of variance meaning they are difficult to predict and win on.

Unpredictable:  It’s impossible to know where a goal might come from.  One slip from a defender could allow another player in to score. This makes predictions difficult.

Limited Time To Bet:  unless you take a gamble, you won’t know if a player is starting  until the teams are announced.  This makes it difficult to carry out full research beforehand.

Goalscorer Bet Variations

The First Goalscorer bet isn’t the only Goalscorer bet that you can do either.  Most bookies offer other bet variations too so let’s have a brief look at what else you might be interested in looking into.

Anytime Goalscorer Bet

A very popular bet with football punters but this betting market doesn’t offer odds as good as the First or Last Goalscorer markets.  This is because your risk is reduced due to the fact that your chosen player can score at anytime during the match for the bet to win.  Usual rules apply, own goals don’t count and bets are valid for 90 minutes plus stoppage time.  To place an Anytime Goalscorer bet, you’ll usually find them in the same place as the First and Last Goalscorer markets and there will be an ‘Anytime’ column.

Last Goalscorer Bet

Basically, this is the opposite of the First Goalscorer bet. The same process applies in that you pick a football match and pick a player.  This time you choose the Last Goalscorer bet option on the bookies website and place your bet as normal.  If your chosen player scores the last goal of the match, you’re a winner.  As with all Goalscorer bets, own goals don’t count and the bet is usually only valid for 90 minutes plus injury time.

Each-Way Goalscorer Bet

As with any Each Way Bet your stake is split in half.  With an Each Way Goalscorer bet, half of your stake is placed on your chosen player scoring the first goal of the match.  The second half of your bet is placed on your player scoring the second or third goal of the match.  Either of these outcomes will result in you getting returns from your bet, but the returns will be better if your player scores the first goal of the game. Depending on the offer the bookies provide, the second part of the bet will usually pay a quarter of the returns you would get if the player scored the first goal.

Please Note – at the time of writing this article, Bet365 are offering unlimited places on their Each Way Goalscorer bets. This means that the returns aren’t limited to just the second and third goal, but they will pay out even if your chosen player scored the seventh goal in a match.  It’s always worth checking what the bookies are offering as it can give you an extra advantage.

Summary

The First Goalscorer Betting markets can offer excitement to bettors and have the potential to be quite lucrative.  However, whilst placing First Goalscorer bets is straight forward, predicting the outcome is not so easy.

The odds offered by bookies on these bets can be quite generous, but this is because of how difficult it can be to predict the correct outcome. This type of bet is more suited to bettors who are keen on football and have a strong knowledge of the teams and players involved.

Research and analysis can play a big part in increasing your chances of success. Approached correctly, First Goalscorer bets can add a valuable and potentially profitable addition to your betting strategy.