First Player To Score Explained

Is first goal scorer a good bet in soccer?

First player to score is a simple bet where you predict which player will score the first goal of a game, but it's one of the most difficult markets to predict. You pick the player you think will score the first goal in the game and it is settled as soon as any player scores a first goa. Or if there is no goal and it ends 0-0 the bet is settled when the referee blows the final whistle. If your chosen player was not the first goal scorer, your bet has lost and if the game ends 0-0 your bet has lost. The only way to win this bet is if your player is the one to take the game to 1-0 as the first goal scorer.

Its a hugely valuable and rewarding market if you get it right, but even the highest league scorers are only getting the first goal at a rate of around 35%, so that only gives you near on 1 in 3 chance of winning if you bet on the top strikers. In their prime, you'd see players like Messi and Ronaldo priced on average at around 2/1 for first goal scorers, sometimes short, which looks seriously inviting - double your money! But take into consideration the 1 in 3 statistic and it's not as clear cut as it originally looks.

So you spent 30 on the 1 in 3 chance, 2 lost and 1 won, so you only won 30. Couple that with the fact that only the elite strikers score first at that rate, you're definitely in a risky betting market. And the potential for 0-0 always adds another layer of opportunity for the bookie to swing this market in their favour.

First goal scorer betting example

So Barcelona are at home to Real Madrid and Barca get a penalty in the first half. Messi pops up and slots it home, the score is 1-0. If you bet on Messi to score first, your bet has won. I used that example because the method of the goal doesn't matter, Messi is credited with scoring so the bet wins. Bookies have official data suppliers like Opta for example and they payout based on how these data suppliers credit the goals.

There are contentious circumstances where goals are deflected shots. So if the score was 0-0 and Ronaldo hits one in off a defender, sometimes the TV broadcaster will credit the goal to the attacking player, suggesting it's Ronaldo's goal. This doesn't mean the bookie will do the same, if the official match assessor and data supplier deem that deflection to be an own goal, then the own goal is recorded against the opposing player and if your bet was on Ronaldo to score first, then you bet has lost.

Do own goals count as a first scorer?

No own goals do not count towards winning bets in the first team to score market. So, if Messi weirdly scores an own goal himself during the match, your bet on him as a first goal scorer is considered a losing bet. Only players scoring for their own team count as first goal scorers. The bet as a whole is lost if anyone scores an own goal as you can't bet on an own goal first scorer, unless you request this specifically from the bookie's request bet services.

Does extra time count if a cup game ends 0-0?

The first scorer bet only applies to the 90 minutes of the match (plus injury time), because this is the standard length of a football match. It is common for betting markets to be settled based on the result at the end of the standard match time, as opposed to extra time or penalty shootouts, which are considered separate events. 

This means the bookies are pricing the game based on normal circumstances each time. Matches are not fixed at 120 minutes, so it's difficult to price odds based on events that may or may not happen. Bookies do offer bets outside of 90 mins, but standard markets are always fixed to 90 minutes.

Can first scorer bets be used in bet builders?

First player to score bets can be combined with other types of bets in a bet builder. For example, you could combine first scorer with a match result bet to create a multiple bet.

Here's an example:

Let's say you want to bet on Arsenal vs Spurs. You believe that Arsenal will win and that Jesus will score first. You could combine these two bets in a bet builder as follows:

• Select Arsenal to win
• Select Jesus to score first

This creates a multiple bet, with both selections needing to be correct for you to win. If Arsenal wins and Jesus scored first, you win the bet.

What happens if the first goal scorer doesn't start?

The bet is voided if the player didn't start the game and that's referred to as a non-runner. Some of the top bookies like Bet365 will void the bet if they don't start and return your stake normally within the first few minutes of the game. 

That does present an issue if your player comes on as a sub and scores. In our opinion, that's rare so it's better in the long run to have that refund. Some bookies chose not to void the bet and will take your bet, even if that player comes on for 10 minutes near the end of the game.