Shots on target — the model, the value and how to read the odds
Shots on target is the most-modelled player market in the Premier League bet builder, and one of the most frequently mispriced. SharpXI turns four seasons of shot data into a true probability for a player's 1+ or 2+ shots on target, so you can spot when the price is generous.
How SharpXI models it
We build a recency-weighted per-90 rate for the player, shrink it toward a positional prior when the sample is thin, scale it by projected minutes, then apply an opponent factor for how many shots on target that defence tends to concede. A Negative Binomial distribution (which handles the over-dispersion real shot data shows) gives P(shots on target ≥ line), and Shin's method strips the bookmaker margin before we compare it to the price.
Go deeper: How we model shots on target →
Where the value tends to sit
Attackers against leaky defences, and midfielders whose shot volume the market under-rates, are where the edge tends to sit. The line matters: 1+ is a high-probability, short-price leg; 2+ swings on minutes and role.
Premier League leaders this season
In the 25/26 Premier League season, Benjamin Šeško (Man Utd) leads for shots on target at 1.87 per 90, ahead of Erling Haaland (1.80) and Taiwo Awoniyi (1.43). Rates are per 90 minutes, minimum 450 played, from completed matches.
Per-90 rates across the league (25/26 season, minimum 450 minutes) — the players whose underlying numbers drive this market.
| Player | Team | Per 90 | 1+ hit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Šeško | Man Utd | 1.87 | 53% |
| Erling Haaland | Man City | 1.80 | 83% |
| Taiwo Awoniyi | Nottingham Forest | 1.43 | 35% |
| Valentín Castellanos | West Ham | 1.42 | 72% |
| Antoine Semenyo | Bournemouth | 1.35 | 85% |
| Lukas Nmecha | Leeds | 1.32 | 45% |
| Wilson Isidor | Sunderland | 1.30 | 47% |
| Jean-Philippe Mateta | Crystal Palace | 1.30 | 62% |
| Matheus Cunha | Man Utd | 1.26 | 73% |
| William Osula | Newcastle | 1.25 | 38% |
| Joshua Zirkzee | Man Utd | 1.22 | 29% |
| Ollie Watkins | Aston Villa | 1.20 | 57% |
Frequently asked
What does 1+ shots on target mean?
It's a bet that the player has at least one shot on target in the match. 2+ means at least two. SharpXI models the probability of each line separately.
How does SharpXI decide a shots-on-target price is value?
It compares its own modelled probability with the de-vigged (margin-removed) implied probability of the bookmaker's price. When the model's number is higher, the leg is flagged as value — with a confidence rating from the sample size.
SharpXI is a statistical tool, not a betting operator, and no model guarantees a result. The honest scoreboard is closing-line value over a large sample. 18+ — please gamble responsibly.