Austria vs. Spain Odds, Picks & Predictions 1/32, July 2
After all the hoopla and the run up, Day 5 of the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup opens with a matchup as Austria takes on Spain Thursday afternoon and we have you covered with our Austria vs. Spain prediction. Austria closed group play with a 3-3 draw with Algeria Saturday night in their previous contest. Spain blanked Uruguay 1-0 in their group play finale their last time out Friday. In the lone previous World Cup meeting between the sides, Austria earned a 2-1 victory in a Group 3 matchup on June 3, 1978. Let’s break down this Austria vs. Spain matchup.
Don’t forget to check out all the World Cup odds as the tournament progresses!
Austria Looking to Pull Massive Upset
Austria in the World Cup
In 2026, Austria makes their ninth World Cup appearance overall and their first since 1998. Das Team owns an all-time record of 13 victories, five draws and 14 losses in World Cup action. Austria entered the World Cup 24th in the FIFA world rankings as they moved up one spot from the previous iteration. Das Team finished group play with a record of one win, one draw and one loss. Austria finished with four points, leaving them tied for second in Group J. They earned second place by virtue of a better goal differential (even to -2) over Algeria.
Austria Last Match
Against Algeria, both teams were in a situation where speculation was they wanted to lose to avoid this matchup. Instead, we got a wild match that wound up as a draw. Austria lost possession soundly as Algeria owned a 65% to 35% advantage in that department. Das Team also lost shots on goal by a 5-3 margin and expected goals by a 1.67 to 1.49 margin in the match. In the opening half, the match started slowly before Marko Arnautovic scored in the 28th minute to give Austria a 1-0 lead. David Alaba assisted on the goal. After a near miss by Algeria, the score was tied on a goal in the 45th minute. That sent the teams tied at one at the half.
In the second half, we saw the teams trade chances and goals. Marcel Sabitzer gave Austria a 2-1 lead in the 55th minute off a feed from Konrad Laimer. That advantage didn’t last as Algeria tied the score in the 60th minute of play. Algeria struck again in the 93rd minute for a 3-2 lead and it seemed Das Team was going home. Immediately after entering the match, Sasa Kalajdzic tallied the equalizer in the 96th minute on his first touch. Michael Gregoritsch set that goal up with a cross. Shortly after, the match came to a close and the draw sent both teams through to the knockout stages, much to the chagrin of Iran. Alexander Schlager is expected to make his fourth World Cup start in between the sticks in this contest.
Spain Shooting to Roll into Round of 16
Spain in the World Cup
In 2026, Spain makes their 17th appearance in the World Cup here as they chase their first title since 2010. La Roja has an all-time record of 33 wins, 18 draws and 19 losses in World Cup play entering this run. They enter the World Cup ranked second in the FIFA world rankings, trailing only Argentina. La Roja is one spot ahead of France. Spain finished group play with a record of two wins, one draw and no losses for seven points. They finished atop Group H as Cape Verde was second in the group with three points.
Spain Last Match
Against Uruguay, Spain was in a defensive struggle for the second time in three matches but managed enough offense to earn three points. La Roja owned a 67% to 33% margin in terms of possession in the match. In addition, Spain owned a 0.86 to 0.20 advantage in terms of expected goals while each side finished with just one shot on goal. In the opening half, there was a lot of possession without scoring threats for Spain. That changed in the 42nd minute as Álex Baena got La Roja on the board off a feed from Marcos Llorenta. The goal gave Spain a 1-0 advantage at the half.
The second half saw plenty of physicality but not much in the way of opportunity. Uruguay had a chance in the 82nd minute but came up empty. On the flip side, Spain’s Ferran Torres clipped the bar in the 86th minute. Uruguay had one last gasp in the 90th minute but didn’t get a penalty they angled for and Spain breathed easier as they ended up with the victory. Unai Simón projects to make his eighth World Cup start in this contest. He has a record of three wins, three draws and one loss in the World Cup. Simón has five clean sheets in World Cup play. Make sure you keep track of the Spain World Cup odds as they progress through the tournament.
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win Austria vs. Spain Prediction
Spain hasn’t kicked into gear offensively in the group stage and this might be a challenge for them to do so. Austria is a good defensive team that, despite their issues, held Argentina to three shots on target in their group stage match. Das Team surrendered six goals in group play though three of them came in the match with Algeria. Spain still has Yamal recovering from an injury, which might keep them in check a bit offensively. Meanwhile, La Roja didn’t concede a goal during group play so offense might be hard to come by. Take the under in this match as a result.
Our Prediction: Under 2.5 Goals (Fanatics, +100)
Based on the fact that Spain has yet to concede a goal in the tournament, one has to be leery of Austria doing much here. Das Team may be able to show flashes of competence but they won’t be able to compete for a full 90 minutes with La Roja. Span is a deep team and they have the ability to score multiple goals. As it stands, take Spain to win to nil in order as they keep Austria off the board while advancing.
Our Prediction: Spain to Win to Nil (FanDuel, -125)
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