Sometimes when browsing through a set of football fixtures, you will have an instinct for how a game will pan out. Perhaps you’ll do some extra research and look at the stats, which confirm your suspicion, and so you may find yourself having something of an edge on the market.
That edge may be best represented in the match result or handicap betting markets, but if you have drilled down a bit deeper in your analysis, you may have shortlisted a player that you think will find the net, or you may have decided what you think the correct score will be. These latter two inklings can be combined as a Scorecast bet, which is a high risk, high reward option you can use when you feel that you have a good read on a game.
What Is a Scorecast Bet?
There are two elements to a Scorecast bet: backing a player to score and correctly predicting the final score. Your two picks are doubled up together and their individual odds accumulated, so you can land some decent prices which reflect the risk you are taking on (take a look at the odds for the various goalscorer markets and also correct scores to see why). There are two types of Scorecast bet you can place:
First Goalscorer Scorecast
The First Goalscorer Scorecast is as the name suggests, as it requires you to correctly predict who will notch the first goal and what the final score will be.
Anytime Goalscorer Scorecast
The Anytime Goalscorer Scorecast is equally as descriptive. Here, your chosen player can find the net at any point in the game, but you’ll still need to correctly guess the final score, as well.
Here’s an example. Imagine Liverpool are playing West Ham, and you believe the Reds will win a goal-laden contest. You have also predicted that Mo Salah will find the net. You could bet on those two outcomes separately, however, the Scorecast option will multiply the odds together to create a double. So, you can back Salah to score first and Liverpool to win 2-1 at 25/1, or you could wager on Salah to score at anytime and Liverpool to prevail 2-1 at 12/1.
Interestingly, you can add a Scorecast for several different games into one accumulator, or use a cover bet such as a Yankee. Your probability of winning these high risk bets is particularly low, but the rewards speak for themselves.
Rules of Scorecast Betting
There are some rules you should be aware about when betting on the Scorecast market. These relate to a) the player you have backed to score, and b) the nature of the first goal that goes in.
What Happens If Your Chosen Goalscorer Isn’t Playing?
If you have backed a Scorecast and then your player doesn’t feature in the game, your bet will be changed to correct score only – you will be paid out at the closing odds for your predicted scoreline. Note this is usually the case, but some bookies may void your bet in this scenario.
What If He Is Sent Off or Substituted?
If your player has started the game, but is either sent off or substituted, then your bet will be settled as a loss if they haven’t scored first/anytime. If they enter the field as a substitute and a goal has already been scored, any first goalscorer bets will be settled as a loss. If you pick enters the fray with no goal yet scored, your bet is left to run.
Own Goals Do Not Count Toward First Goalscorer Bets
It’s worth noting the rules on own goals in these instances too. An own goal does not count towards first goalscorer bets, so your player can still oblige if they score next. For example, if West Ham score an own goal against Liverpool, your Mo Salah first goalscorer Scorecast is still in the running and will be settled as a winner if he notches next.
Can’t I Just Bet on First Goalscorer & Correct Score as a Double?
Even though you might not think it, several football betting markets are interlinked, and they can’t be bet on as multiples due to ‘related contingencies’. A related contingency is where one event has a direct impact on the other, so if Salah does score first then it has an affect on your correct score bet too because the odds of a Liverpool win automatically shorten.
That’s why Scorecast odds tend to be shorter than they would if you backed your goalscorer and correct score picks as a double, and why Scorecast prices are determined by the bookies and not the market itself. All of the different Scorecast variations have been designed to account for related contingency, allowing punters to have the flutter they want while maintaining the integrity of the betting market.
Variations of Scorecast Betting
In addition to the main types of Scorecast bet mentioned already, there’s a few ‘cast’ variations that may be of interest to punters.
First Half Scorecast
The First Half Scorecast is self-explanatory. Here, you’re looking to back the first goalscorer and the correct score at half time.
Wincast
The Wincast is a slightly lower risk betting option. You still have to correctly guess the first goalscorer, but rather than needing to predict the correct score, you simply have to back the team you think will win the game (or the draw, if you prefer).
Timecast
Finally, we have the Timecast, which is a double of first goalscorer and the time bracket in which you think the first goal will be scored. These windows are typically the 1-20th minute, 21-45 or 46+, and the emphasis is very much on high risk, high reward again here.
Tips for Scorecast Betting
It’s fair to say that Scorecast betting isn’t the easiest nut to crack for punters, with so much variance in who might score first (there’s 20 outfield players on the pitch, of course) and what the correct score might be (well over a dozen final scores are regularly witnessed every weekend).
Dutching
You will be rewarded by handsome odds, but the preference is for the anytime goalscorer Scorecast, which gives punters greater margin for error with their bets. Another consideration is to hedge your bets with ‘Dutching’. You have the luxury of backing the same anytime goalscorer with a range of different correct scorelines, and while your return will be eaten into by the bets that lose you will still increase your chances of landing the right score.
The various Scorecast markets are particularly price sensitive, with clear disparities seen in the various goalscorer-scoreline combinations. Once you have decided on which combos you want to back, it’s well worth shopping around at odds comparison sites to ensure you are maximising your potential winnings.
Consider the Player’s Form & Record
When it comes to picking your goalscorer, consider their form, their record against that particular opponent and also the specific weaknesses of the team he or she is playing against. If a side is poor at defending set pieces, perhaps picking the opposition’s main aerial threat as your goalscorer will offer value. Generally speaking, it’s strikers that are in form and free kick takers that offer your best hope for success when backing Scorecast wagers.
Many punters have been seduced by Scorecast betting in the past, and there’s nothing wrong with that if you are made of stern stuff and recognise that plenty of your picks will lose – it’s hard enough predicting the correct score in a game, let alone a goalscorer as well. The anytime Scorecast and Wincast options are given preference, as they offer a wider safety net while still offering handsome rewards when you land one.
