How to Bet on Top Goalscorer Markets in the UK?

Football is without a doubt the top sport to bet on in the UK, with myriad markets available. One of the most popular markets to bet on concerns the top goalscorer prize that is given out at the end of many different leagues, cups and various competitions that are played all over the world.

Harry Kane
Harry Kane - one of the most popular players to bet on for top goalscorer
In the Premier League, for instance, the Golden Boot tends to be fought over throughout the season with the division's top strikers determined to collect one of the game's main prizes. Individual honours may not be as crucial as team trophies but for players such as Tottenham star Harry Kane, top goalscorer gongs may be some of the only career prizes they will win.

But how can sports fans in the UK go about betting on top goalscorer betting markets?

Top Goalscorer Betting: Ante-Post or During Competitions

There are two main ways to bet on top goalscorer markets in the UK. One of them is ante-post, a technical term in the industry that just means placing a wager before a ball has been kicked.

As an example, a football fan could bet on Kane to be the top goalscorer in the coming Premier League season during the summer months when there is no action being played. The other option is to wait until the league or tournament is under way. This gives people a chance to suss out the likeliest contenders to be named the top goalscorer winner at the end of the campaign.

However, waiting is likely to result in lower odds being offered if a player makes a strong start to the season and puts themselves right in the running for the top goalscorer prize as a result.

Comparing the Odds Offered for Top Goalscorer Betting

As when placing any other type of wager, it can pay off to compare top goalscorer prices. While the odds offered might seem similar across the board, even a small difference in the price for a player to win a top goalscorer prize can result in substantial extra profits being made available.

Take for example the Premier League top goalscorer betting odds. Let's say a football fan wants to back Kane to win the Golden Boot and is willing to stake £20 of their cash on this happening. If they back Kane at a price of 4/1 to win the Golden Boot then they will win a profit of £80. But if the same bet can be found at 5/1 instead, then the potential profit on offer is boosted to £100. It goes without saying potential profits increase more when the stakes are raised.

Comparing odds for top goalscorer betting does not mean having to spend time visiting a lot of different betting sites. Top aggregators such as Oddschecker can be used to simplify the task.

Something else to keep in mind when betting on top scorer markets is that each way may be an option. When this is the case, bettors can be paid out winnings even if the player does not end up topping the scoring charts at the end of play. How the each way odds are calculated on top scorer markets can change a lot from site to site, so it is worth checking these out in detail.

What Happens if There Is a Tie for the Top Goalscorer?

One issue to be aware of is when there is a tie for the top goalscorer prize. For example, back in 1997-98, three players all ended the Premier League season with the same number of goals. On that occasion, a trio of English players - Chris Sutton of Blackburn Rovers, Dion Dublin of Coventry City and Liverpool's Michael Owen all had a claim to the Premier League Golden Boot. Each of the players had scored 18 goals so there was no way to split them in the standings.

Some leagues and tournaments have a form of tie-break that can be used to decide the prize. However, in the case of the Premier League's Golden Boot award, the prize is simply shared. This has happened on a few occasions, most recently at the end of the 2021-22 when both Son Heung-min of Tottenham and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah had amassed 23 league goals.

However, at the World Cup, the winner of the top goalscorer prize is now decided by the player with the most assists in the event of a tie for goals scored. At the 2010 tournament, which was held in South Africa, four players managed to score five goals during the competition. Diego Forlan of Uruguay, Spain striker and Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands were all disappointed on that occasion as Germany international Thomas Muller won the Golden Boot on assists.

What Happens if Dead Heat Rules Apply for Top Goalscorer Betting?

While competitions like the World Cup have their own way of deciding which player actually wins the top goalscorer prize, a common term to look out for when browsing top scorer markets at the best betting sites in the UK is "dead heat rules apply".

This means that the odds offered for a player to be the top goalscorer will be shared according to the number of others they tied with. Let's take the European Championship in 2012 as an example, when six players finished the tournament with the same number of goals scored.

If dead heat rules applied, then bettors would only be paid 1/6 of their winnings as a result.

The Best Bookies for Top Goalscorer Markets

So taking all of the above into account, which are the top UK bookies for top scorer markets?
  • Bet365: Plenty of options and some of the best top goalscorer odds around
  • 888Sport: Excellent value on top scorer markets for various competitions
  • Paddy Power: Clear and simple site to use with good value top scorer betting odds
  • Betfair: The exchange at Betfair often has the best top scorer odds in the business
As a Finn and living in Vaasa, Ansku Suomi is somewhat of an unusual Finn who likes football more than ice hockey. She also likes to write articles about football and other topics around football. Arsenal and Juventus are her favorite teams that she has been following throughout her life.