Ireland vs Austria best bets, odds and a three-leg bet builder for Thursday's 19:45 Nations League clash at the Aviva, plus our score prediction and lineups.
Ireland vs AustriaSee All Odds
Austria lead Nations League B Group 3 with six points from two home wins, but Thursday is their first trip of the campaign, and they travel without Kevin Danso, Paul Wanner and Nikolas Veratschnig. Ireland bounced back from a 1-0 defeat in Kosovo by beating Israel 3-0, and they are unbeaten in eight at the Aviva with four straight home clean sheets. Heimir Hallgrímsson is without captain Nathan Collins, so Dara O'Shea takes the armband. Troy Parrott has seven goals in his last eight caps. Ireland are level on three points with Kosovo, and a win would take them within touching distance of the top.
Ireland vs Austria Best Bets
Best bet: Ireland draw no bet
The market has Austria as favourites, but that price is built on Ralf Rangnick's strongest side and this is not it. Danso is suspended, Wanner and Veratschnig have gone back to their clubs injured, Sascha Horvath has left the camp and Florian Wiegele starts in goal. Konrad Laimer is back in training but not ready for 90 minutes.
Ireland's home record makes them the value side. They are unbeaten in eight at the Aviva, including a 2-0 win over Portugal, and they have kept clean sheets in each of their last four home games. Austria have not kept a clean sheet in six, and every one of their last ten games came at home or on neutral ground. Ireland are also unbeaten in their last two meetings with Austria.
Draw no bet returns your stake if the game is level, and the draw is a strong possibility here.
Who is the favourite to win Ireland vs Austria?
| Outcome | Price |
|---|---|
| Ireland | 27/10 |
| Draw | 23/10 |
| Austria | 5/4 |
Austria are favourites at 5/4, with 23/20 the most common price. They reached the last 32 at the World Cup, and their only defeats in eleven games came against Spain and Argentina. Ireland are 27/10, with 13/5 at bet365, and the draw is 23/10. Their home record and Austria's list of absentees make those prices tighter than they should be. The half-time draw at 11/10 reflects how close the market expects this game to be.
Ireland vs Austria Bet Builder Tips
1. Nicolas Seiwald over 1.5 tackles
Seiwald starts in defensive midfield and made three or more tackles in 12 of his last 20 appearances (60%), averaging 2.30 per game. He made three in each of Austria's two Nations League games, and he reached the line in 15 of his last 20 full 90 minutes. Ireland's opponents average 18.67 tackles per game against a norm of 14.61. At home, with the Aviva behind them, Ireland will run at Austria's midfield, and Seiwald will be the first man to meet them.
2. Maximilian Wöber over 2.5 tackles at 6/4
Wöber has made three or more tackles in each of his last three Austria appearances, averaging 3.67 per game, and made five in 58 minutes against Kosovo on Sunday. With Danso out, the back four is makeshift and Wöber has more defending to do. Ireland's wing-backs push forward and Ireland go direct to Parrott, so Wöber will face plenty of one-on-one defending on Thursday. Ireland's opponents make 27.8% more tackles than average, which backs up the price.
3. Dara O'Shea over 0.5 shots at 23/20
O'Shea starts in the centre of Ireland's back three and captains the side with Collins out. He has had at least one shot in 9 of his last 18 appearances (50%) and in five of his last eight. Austria allow 16.67 shots per game against an average of 12.83, and most of Ireland's chances will come from set pieces. O'Shea is the main target at corners and free kicks.
Ireland vs Austria Score Prediction
Ireland 1-1 Austria
Austria have more quality, and they have scored three in each Nations League game. Marcel Sabitzer and Christoph Baumgartner are missing, but Romano Schmid has created six chances in this campaign and Carney Chukwuemeka scored against Kosovo. It would be a surprise if they left Dublin without a goal.
Ireland have enough to hurt a patched-up Austria defence. They scored three in the first half against Israel through Parrott, Adam Idah and Jack Moylan. Parrott is in the best international form of his career, and a new goalkeeper and a rebuilt back line give Ireland something to attack.
The two previous meetings in Dublin both ended in score draws. Ireland's home defence is strong and Austria are short of their best players, so Austria are unlikely to pull away. A 1-1 draw is the most likely score, and the draw no bet stake comes back.
Ireland vs Austria Predicted Lineups
Ireland: Kelleher; Kitching, O'Shea, O'Brien; Abankwah, Molumby, Knight, Manning; Idah, Moylan; Parrott
Austria: Wiegele; Posch, Lienhart, Affengruber, Wöber; Seiwald, X. Schlager; Wimmer, Chukwuemeka, Schmid; Adamu
Ireland are without Nathan Collins, Séamus Coleman, Evan Ferguson, Jamie McGrath, Josh Cullen, Jack Taylor, Mikey Johnston and Harvey Vale. Bosun Lawal is not fit, and Finn Azaz is a doubt. John Egan could come into the back three, and Chiedozie Ogbene and Conor Coventry are pushing for starts. Austria are without the suspended Kevin Danso, and Paul Wanner, Nikolas Veratschnig, Sascha Horvath and Christian Zawieschitzky have all left the squad. Florian Wiegele starts in goal. Konrad Laimer is back but not fit for 90 minutes. Michael Gregoritsch and Phillipp Mwene are doubts, and Philipp Lienhart or Kevin Friedl will replace Danso.
