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The Top Soccer Leagues For High-Scoring Matches

Aron Wright - April 25, 2024

In the world of sports, soccer is not typically recognised as a high-scoring game. While basketball scores can easily move into their hundreds and soccer matches usually rack up tens of points, it is not unthinkable for soccer matches to end up goalless.

This might not sound exciting, but soccer is still the world’s most popular sport and lucky fans can sometimes enjoy extremely high-scoring fixtures.

In this article, we will explore the top-scoring soccer leagues and the factors that can impact whether sports betting customers should consider placing a wager on them. Gambling expert Gavin Beech has researched the top online sports betting sites and explains the benefits of using operators who offer a range of sports bets, provide high levels of security, and a variety of payment methods for those looking at different soccer leagues.

The Top Scoring Soccer Leagues

The goals scored in a match influence several popular betting markets including first or last goalscorer, goalscorer and correct score doubles, score predictions, and the over and under markets.

The over-and-under markets allow fans to bet on whether they think a match will finish with more or less goals than a set amount. For example, anyone who has bet on an over 2.5 goals market on a game will win if three or more goals are scored, no matter who scores them.

Fans of this type of market will typically operate in leagues that have notoriously high-scoring matches. 

The following leagues are the highest scoring for the 2023/24 season so far:

  1. Finland Kolmonen 4.15 goal average per game
  2. English Premier League U21 3.94 goal average per game
  3. English Championship U21 3.87 goal average per game
  4. Germany Verbandsliga 3.83 goal average per game
  5. Scottish Highland League 3.73 goal average per game
  6. Hong Kong Division 1 3.71 goal average per game
  7. US USL League 2 3.67 goal average per game
  8. North Wales Championship 3.63 goal average per game
  9. Israel North Liga 3.60 goal average per game
  10. South Wales Championship 3.55 goal average per game

Considerations

Knowing which leagues have a high goal average per game can be extremely beneficial to bettors, but there should also be other considerations. As with any bet, there will be an element of chance and the following factors should be explored when looking at potentially high-scoring leagues or matches.

Knowing the Market

Knowing a market or league should be a significant factor when looking at potentially high-scoring matches. The leagues listed above are relatively obscure and there won’t be too many people with an in-depth knowledge of squads and form for these.

It can also be difficult to find online sportsbooks that offer these markets. However, those who have a good knowledge of these leagues can explore offshore betting operators and casinos not on Gamstop Ltd that do offer betting on them.

A benefit of knowing less popular leagues is that bettors can sometimes have information that even bookmakers don’t, resulting in some odds being too good to miss.

How Competitive the League Is

Extremely competitive leagues like the English Championship can have extremely tight league tables with lots of teams battling against relegation or pushing for promotion. Having a lot of teams that are around about the same level can result in lower-scoring matches.

This is not always the case and there are also some anomalies like the recent match between Middlesbrough and Leeds that finished 4-3 to the visitors.

Looking at leagues that have a big gulf between the top teams and those near the bottom can sometimes help. The Scottish League is an example of this where Rangers and Celtic have far bigger budgets and better squads than most other teams. The English Premiership is also an example of this when you compare the likes of Manchester City and Luton.

Match Timing

The end-of-season fixture list can throw up some interesting prospects with some teams fighting for their life, batting for league championships, and others with nothing to play for. A great example of this came during a League 2 fixture in England in 2022 when Northampton Town narrowly missed out on promotion despite winning 3-1. They were pipped on goal difference following rivals Bristol Rovers incredible 7-0 win over Scunthorpe.

The victory becomes more understandable when you discover that Scunthorpe had already been relegated and decided to field seven teenagers in their team in preparation for the following season.

Fixture Pileups

Another issue that can affect team lineups is fixture pileups. If poor weather has caused fixtures to be cancelled, teams can find themselves playing multiple fixtures in a short space of time. This can lead to injuries and exhaustion, with some teams choosing to field weakened teams in less important fixtures.

Conclusion

Everyone loves a high-scoring match because it guarantees lots of goalmouth action and drama. However, it can be challenging to predict which matches will produce the most goals. 

The top-scoring leagues mentioned above are either development leagues or lower quality, with the world’s bigger leagues typically offering much more competitive matches and a higher level of defensive quality.

The considerations listed in this article should help you to identify the potential for goals in a game, but nothing is ever guaranteed.

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