Writer, analyst, podcaster, Spurs fan. Three out of four is not bad. If there is a data angle, I will find it.
Shots On Target Betting
The upcoming EPL season is expected to see a huge rise in the Shots on Target betting markets.
Bookmakers are always searching for more opportunities to heighten our interest and attract our cash and shots on target betting is their latest incarnation.
You will be able to back individual player's shots on target as well as team shots on target, such as
Chelsea 3 + Shots on target at xxx odds and Timo Werner to have 1+ shot on target at xxx odds.
Luckily there are plenty of stats available enabling us to make informed decisions on which players are shot greedy and who decides to pass when an opportunity arises.
Leading Online Bookmakers
Below you can see the last two seasons' top 10 players who had shots on target.
Now there is no guarantee that previous seasons season’s hotshots will perform equally as well this season, but it is at least a guide.
2020/21 EPL Season
| Player | Club | Shots On Target |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Kane | Tottenham | 53 |
| Mohammed Salah | Liverpool | 52 |
| Bruno Fernandez | Manchester United | 51 |
| Patrick Bamford | Leeds United | 48 |
| Dominic Calvert - Lewin | Everton | 46 |
| Ollie Watkins | Aston Villa | 45 |
| Chris Wood | Burnley | 39 |
| Jamie Vardy | Leicester City | 38 |
| Marcus Rashford | Manchester United | 37 |
| Sadio Mane | Liverpool | 36 |
2019/20 EPL Season
| Player | Club | Shots On Target |
|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Salah | Liverpool | 59 |
| Gabriel Jesus | Manchester City | 48 |
| Raul Jimenez | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 44 |
| Marcus Rashford | Manchester United | 44 |
| James Vardy | Leicester City | 43 |
| Pierre Emerick Aubameyang | Arsenal | 42 |
| Tammy Abraham | Chelsea/Aston Villa | 40 |
| Antony Martial | Manchester United | 40 |
| Roberto Firmino | Liverpool | 39 |
| Dominic Calvert - Lewin | Everton | 38 |
Team Shots On Target 2019/20
After 38 games of the 2019/20 EPL season, you can view the top teams when it comes to shots on target.
Naturally, the more attacking teams and those who score more goals have more shots.
Top of the table Man City averaged 5.76 shots on target per game, wheres as relegated Sheffield United only managed 2.6 per game.
| Team | Shots On Target |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | 219 |
| Liverpool | 214 |
| Manchester United | 212 |
| Chelsea | 208 |
| Leeds United | 200 |
| Aston Villa | 187 |
| Leicester City | 183 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 176 |
| Southampton | 167 |
| West Ham United | 165 |
| Wolves | 154 |
| Arsenal | 151 |
| Everton | 148 |
| Brighton | 143 |
| Newcastle United | 142 |
| Fulham | 135 |
| Crystal Palace | 131 |
| Burnley | 130 |
| WBA | 112 |
| Sheffield United | 99 |
Request A Bet Shots
More of us are betting using the request a bet or create a bet facility where we choose a few selections and then are offered bigger odds when/if all the selections win.
The bookies will offer us various scenarios including often shots on target, such as the example below, we can then decide if we think all these options will happen.
| Request A Bet /Bet Builder Example |
|---|
| Mo Salah To Have 2 Shots On Target |
| Liverpool To Have 8 corners or More |
| Jordan Henderson To Be Booked |
| Liverpool To Win |
You can read more about this type of betting in the dedicated betting school article, but you will see that shots on target have become a mainstay of these bets.
Shot On Target Rules And Settlement
The majority of bookies settle shots in the exact same way using Opta stats, but you do need to check the rules with the online bookmakers you bet with.
Opta makes the final decisions on shots on target.
Below we have reproduced one of the leading bookies' rules that we feature on OLBG.com
- A Shot That Would Go In But The Keeper Saves It
- A Shot That Was Cleared Off the Line By A Defender, this Defender Is Classed As The Last Line Defender
- A Goal Directly Scored From A Corner Kick
- Shots that hit any part of the frame around the goal are not counted as shots on target, unless the ball goes into the back of the net and is then awarded as a goal.
