Anytime goalscorer odds explained
An anytime goalscorer bet wins if your player scores at any point in normal time. How odds become a chance, what does not count, and where the margin hides.
On this page
An anytime goalscorer bet wins if the player you pick scores at least one goal during normal time, 90 minutes plus stoppage time. One goal or three, first minute or last, it pays the same. Own goals do not count, and extra time usually does not either. To read the odds as a chance, divide one by the decimal price: 3.0 means the bookmaker gives that player about a one in three chance of scoring, before you take out its margin.
What counts and what does not
Rules vary by bookmaker, so read yours, but the common ground is this:
| Situation | Usual settlement |
|---|---|
| Player scores in normal time | Wins |
| Player scores only an own goal | Loses (own goals ignored) |
| Player scores only in extra time or a shootout | Loses, unless the market includes extra time |
| Player does not take part | Void, stake returned |
| Player comes on and does not score | Loses |
Paddy Power, Sky Bet and Virgin Bet all publish these rules in their help pages, linked below. The late-substitute case is where they differ most.
Turning the odds into a chance
The arithmetic is the same as any market, covered in implied probability in one minute. As an example, not a real price:
| Decimal odds | Implied chance |
|---|---|
| 2.50 | 40.0% |
| 3.00 | 33.3% |
| 5.00 | 20.0% |
| 10.00 | 10.0% |
The catch is the margin. In a match-result market the three implied chances add up to a little over 100%. In a goalscorer market, add up every player's implied chance and the total is far higher, because each player is priced on their own and the bookmaker builds its edge into each one. Why that costs you is in what the bookmaker's margin really costs you.
What drives a goalscorer price
A player can only score if their team scores, so the team's expected goals set a ceiling. Then comes the player's share: penalties, minutes, position, whether they start. A striker who takes penalties on a side expected to score twice will be short. A centre-back on a side expected to score once will be long. News that a player is rested or on the bench moves these prices more than it moves the match result.
What this does not tell you
It does not tell you whether any goalscorer price is good value; that needs a view on the player's real chance, and BAI8's Desk does not publish player numbers. The table above is an illustration of the arithmetic, not a set of real prices. And settlement rules change between bookmakers and between competitions, so the one that matters is the one on your bet slip.
18+. Bet only what you can afford to lose.
Common questions
What does anytime goalscorer mean?
The bet wins if the player you pick scores at least once during the match, normally 90 minutes plus stoppage time. When or how often they score does not matter.
Do own goals count for an anytime goalscorer bet?
No. Bookmaker rules, Paddy Power's and Virgin Bet's among them, ignore own goals in goalscorer markets.
Does extra time count for anytime goalscorer?
Usually not. Most bookmakers settle on normal time only, so a goal in extra time or a shootout does not count unless the market says it does.
What happens if my anytime goalscorer does not play?
Most bookmakers void the bet and return the stake if the player takes no part. Rules differ on a player who comes on late, so check yours.
How do I turn anytime goalscorer odds into a chance?
Divide one by the decimal odds. Odds of 3.0 imply 33.3%, odds of 5.0 imply 20%. Those figures include the bookmaker's margin, which is usually large in player markets.