Football betting does not involve predicting match winner only. There are several bets like BTTS, Over/Under, etc. that focus on how the teams will perform during the match. The focus of these bets is the goal-scoring ability of a selected team or player. One of such bets is first goal scorer soccer bet. In this bet, the punter has to predict correctly which player will shoot the ball right into the post before anyone else does. This goal can come anytime during the game and the bet is settled only when the scoreboard reads 1-0.
Such bet requires deep study and analysis as there are several factors that come into play for this event to happen. The punters need to have a sound strategy in place to strike gold by betting on the first goal scorer soccer betting. In this post, we throw light on what strategies can work in a punter’s favor when he chooses to predict first goal scorer bet.
- Player form analysis
Since the scoring capability of a player is at the focus of the first goal scorer bet, the punters can take home profits by paying attention to players’ forms. If you follow the players’ score chart of EPL 2022, you will find Erling Haaland appearing as a strong name. This player gets the name in the top scorer list for EPL 2023/24 as well. The odds for Haaland as top scorer at ¼ for the 2023-24 edition of EPL. So, the punters can choose to back this player and hope to make a decent winning.
While doing a player form analysis, the punters should look for the following factors:
- How the player performed in a home or an away match
- How many goals the players scored in a recently played league
- How the player performed in terms of acting as assist to goals
Apart from researching on the following points, the punters can take a look at the odds assigned to the first goal scorer by the bookmakers. There can be a player who scored goals in the season just concluded, but could not catch the eyes of the bookmakers. So, if this player is assigned a high odd, it is where the value lies. Other players to look for as per the bookmakers’ odds chart for 2023 are – Mohammed Salah, Hueng-min Son, Darwin Nunez, Evan Ferguson, to quote a few.
- Defender odds and value analysis
The first scorer bet usually diverts the attention of the bookmakers to the strikers. They end up assigning high odds to the defenders, as a result. Such move creates value for the bettor. Let’s take an example of Europe’s elite division’s defenders – Dijk, Koulibaly, Dias and Rudiger. These are stout-built defenders who have together scored about 33 goals in the matches from 2018 onwards. However, these defenders got the odds 8/1, 17/2, 11/1 and 7/1 respectively for anytime scorer bet at one of the bookies.
Such odds create value for those punters who see their score records and recognize their potential as the first goal scorer in the match. The bookmakers find it hard to imagine a defender entering among the strikers, and that develops a winning possibility for the punter who adopts a bit open-minded approach.
- Use bet builder option
When you look for the first goal scorer odds, you can also find odds for last goal scorer and anytime scorer bets. To extract the best benefit from the first goal scorer bet, the players can adopt a mix and match strategy and include first goal scorer in their bet builder.
Since the odds for the first goal scorer are kept quite high, it attracts the bettors easily and they find it worthy of taking the risk. So, by analysis of player form and striker group formation, which we discuss in the next section, the punters can pick the first goal scorer with high probability of winning big profit.
Rules to know about while picking the first goal scorer bet
First goal scorer bet can yield you best results when you improve your betting knowledge surrounding this bet. So, here are certain rules which you must know about before you choose to wager on this bet.
- If the first goal ends in an ‘Own Goal’, it will not be counted and the bettors will continue waiting for the first goal which is sent across the opponent’s post.
- Except for the stated reasons, the bet continues for the full 90 minutes of the match, as the first goal may happen even during the last official minutes of the match.
- The odds you will find at the betting sites will usually be high and may give generous payouts to the bettor.
- If the player who bettor picked is sitting on the bench and doesn’t play, the bet gets cancelled.
- If the player chosen to be the first scorer is shown a penalty card and he has not scored a goal during his time on the field, the stake is lost.
- Only the match time till 90 minutes is considered for deciding the first goal scorer of the match. So, if your pick posts a goal in the extra time, you will still lose the bet.
- If the match ends as a no goal match, 0-0, the bet is lost.
To conclude,
The first goal scorer bet requires a punter to study the player form and the conditions that lead to change in formations of the match. This bet is usually with high odds and can pay handsome returns. If you want to club this bet with other usuals like Over/Under, Correct Score, etc. you can take help of experts at Isfa . The experts at this prediction site are well-known for their analysis and accuracy of results. Also, learn by heart all the rules which govern the outcomes of the first goal scorer bet. Player form analysis, match conditions analysis and combination betting statistics can help you pick a player as the first goal scorer.
