What Is Scorecast Betting?

What Is Scorecast Betting?

The Scorecast bet is a different form of Double Bet, and allows you to bet on the first goal scorer and the correct score of the match.  Scorecast bets are difficult to land and would suit those who know their football and want to use their knowledge to try and increase their winnings.

This article will explain everything you need to know about Scorecast betting.  You’ll find out how they work, how to place a Scorecast bet, the pros and cons of Scorecast betting and considerations to make before placing a bet.

How Does A Scorecast Bet Work?

Scorecast bets are limited to football matches and combine two elements into one bet. You need to predict both the first goal scorer and the correct score at the final whistle. This bet is sure to challenge even the most knowledgeable football fan though.

So to create a Scorecast bet, you’ll need to make the following two predictions:

1. Choose the player you think is going to score the first goal of the game. Please be aware that own goals don’t count towards your bet. If the first goal is an own goal, the next normal goal will be the one that counts towards a Scorecast bet.
2. Predict the correct score when the game finishes. This will be the total amount of goals scored by both teams and unlike the first part of your bet, own goals do count in this bit of the wager.
   

Only if both of your predictions are correct, will the bet be successful and you win.

Picking Your Selections

Some bettors will just chance it and go with their gut feeling, some will spend time researching the markets to try and make informed decisions to enhance their chances. 

Let’s look at what you might like to keep in mind when making your bet selections:

First Goal Scorer

This might be considered the most important part of a Scorecast bet because if this isn’t successful, the second part of your bet is lost even if you do predict the correct score. Therefore, it’s always worth doing a bit of research on players you are considering selecting and here’s some things you might want to look at:

• Form: Has the player been getting high ratings in recent games.
• Injuries: Has the player just come back from a recent injury? How long were they out for? Was it a serious injury that might make them a bit reluctant to give 100%?
  
• Fatigue: Has the player been involved in all their teams matches recently? Have they played international matches while others have had a rest?
  
• Record: Some players are known to score regularly against certain teams.
  
• Personal Issues: Has the press reported a player is having off-field issues?
  
• Team Selection: Has the gaffer put out a team that suits certain players for partnerships?
  

Note: It’s worth trying to place Scorecast bets closer to the kick-off time so you know the players starting the game.  If your chosen player doesn’t start the match or is subbed on after the first goal is scored, your Scorecast bet is void and will revert to a single bet on the correct score.

Correct Score

That’s the first bit of your Scorecast bet sorted, now let’s look at the second part, the correct score. Again, there are a few things you might want to keep in mind when deciding your prediction:

• Form: Check how a team has been performing recently. 
• Head-to-Head: Look at the historical data to see if there’s any pattern when two teams play each other.
  
• League Positions: Is one of the teams a clear favourite or are they closely matched?
  
• Conditions: Could the weather conditions influence how teams play. Is one team use to playing better in adverse weather conditions?
  
• Goal Statistics: Have a look at what teams average with goals scored and conceded. 
  

Placing A Scorecast Bet

You’ve done your research and are ready to place a Scorecast bet but how do you do that? 

The first thing you need to do is check which bookies offer the Scorecast bet option as not all do.

In this real-life example, let’s look at the UEFA Champions League fixture between Atalanta and Arsenal with 888 Sport.  Arsenal are clear favourites for this fixture and you think they will win comfortably. They have also been scoring quite freely in the Premier League so you fancy them to win 3-0 away from home.  Arsenal strike Gabriel Jesus has been in good form too so you fancy him to bag an early goal.

To place the Scorecast bet, you need to find the Atalanta v Arsenal match. You then need to look at the ‘All Markets’ tab.  You will see a lot of betting options but if you scroll down a little you will see the ‘Scorecast’ option. Just click on the drop-down arrows to see the list of players available and correct scores.

Based on your selections, the screen will look like this:

So you’ve picked your two selections for the Scorecast bet, you just need to place the bet.  Just click on the odds box to the right of your selections and it will populate the betslip for you. Then just choose your stake and place the bet.

If you can’t find a Scorecast market at your chosen bookies, you can still place a bet based on the first goal scorer and correct score.  However, this usually then tends to be more of a Double bet or Accumulator bet.

When there’s no Scorecast market available but you want to still have a bet on the first goal scorer and match result, it’s definitely worth looking around and what odds are available. 

Let’s look at how things might differ using this method.  With your bet on 888 Sport, you were given Scorecast Bet odds of 65 (64/1) for Gabriel Jesus to score first and Arsenal to win 3-0. 

Just for transparency, let’s now look at what Bet365 and Paddy Power offer for effectively the same bet.  These two DO NOT have a Scorecast market for the Atalanta v Arsenal game.

This bet with Bet365 stands out like a sore thumb because the odds are far more inferior to the Scorecast odds offered by 888 Sport for the same selections.  888 Sport offered odds of 65 (64/1) using the Scorecast Bet but Bet365 only offer odds of 41 (40/1) for the same selections.  This is because specific Scorecast bet markets almost always offer enhanced odds compared to Double bets or Bet Builders.

Now, on to what Paddy Power offer on the same market as Bet365.  Again, they don’t offer a Scorecast market but you can still place the same selections as a Bet Builder.

This bet looks a lot more promising than the Bet365 bet odds.  Paddy Power are offering odds of 62.8 which is only a little under the better odds of 65 offered by 888 Sport.

So you can see from these examples that it always pays to have a look around at what markets and odds are available before placing a Scorecast bet.

Remember - Even though a Scorecast bet contains two bets within one, there are no multiples of unit stakes. If you stake £10 in your bet slip then that will be your total stake.

Advantages & Disadvantages Of Scorecast Bets

Advantages

• High Returns Potential: Due to the difficulty of predicting Scorecast bets correctly, the odds offered by bookies are usually very generous.  This can lead to impressive returns if your bet wins.
• Engaging: These bets can be exciting as you’re not just focused on an end result. You’re waiting for the first goal scorer and if that comes in, you then get to wait to see if the result ends your way.
  
• Knowledge Can Pay: If you are a big fan of football and have a vast knowledge of the team and players, Scorecast bets could be suited to you. Knowing what you are looking for will increase your chances of a winning bet.
  
• Market Availability: The amount of combinations on offer in Scorecast markets gives bettors great options to find what they want.
  

Disadvantages

• Difficulty: Predicting the first goal scorer and the exact score result is extremely challenging which is why such attractive odds are offered by the bookies.  
• Success Probability: The chances of success with Scorecast bets is very low. It would be an achievement in itself to predict the first goal scorer but to then get the score correct too is rare.
  
• Potential Disappointment: Bettors may get frustrated when only one element of their bet lands.
  
• Lack Of Control: Once you have placed your bet and the game begins, you are locked in for the game. There is no option to cashout and the bookies won’t offer enhanced cashouts if things are going your way.
  

Scorecast Betting Rules

Rules can sometimes be slightly different across bookies, so if you’re unsure of anything, it’s worth checking before you place your Scorecast bet.

Here’s a selection of the more generic rules used:

• Scorecast bets usually settle based on 90 minutes of play (including injury time). Extra time and penalties won’t count.
• If your chosen goal scorer doesn’t start the game or comes on after a goal has already been scored, the bet usually then runs as a single on the correct score.
  
• Some bookies offer a Super Sub option so this is worth looking for. If your selected goal score is substituted and the game is 0-0, his replacement can then be eligible to be the first goal scorer.
  
• Own goals do not count towards the first goal scorer element of a Scorecast bet. The bet continues to roll on until a normal goal is scored.
  
• Own goals do count towards the correct score part of Scorecast bets. If you predicted a score of 2-1 and all three goals were own goals, your correct score predictions would count.
  
• If a game is postponed or abandoned, you should check the bookmakers terms. Some bookmakers may void the bet while others might allow for the result to stand where an outcome has already been decided such as a half time result.
  
• You can’t place each way Scorecast bets.
  

Summary

Scorecast bets add a nice variance to your more standard football bets and give sports bettors a big challenge to predict the first goal scorer and the correct final score. They offer punters the opportunity to be totally engaged with a football match as every shot on target, free kicks around the box and penalties could all hold the key to whether your Scorecast bet succeeds or fails. 

The odds and potential returns can be extremely rewarding.  However, these bets are very challenging and success is hard to come by. Scorecast bets typically suit bettors that have a good knowledge of the game, the teams and players involved. 

For bettors looking for lower risks and more consistency, other betting options might suit such as Single Bets or Double Bets.

That said, there’s nothing stopping you from starting out on these types of bets before moving to more challenging bets such as Scorecast bets, Accumulators and Heinz Bets. You can check out which bets will work with football in our Types of Bets guide.