Spain vs Austria: prediction & betting odds 2 July 2026

Why Spain Are Favourites for the Match

Bookmakers regard Spain as clear favourites: Spain to win - 1.31, draw - 5.35, Austria to win - 10.00. Spain are priced at 1.14 to reach the last 16.

• Spain are the winners of Group H (seven points, +5); Austria are second in Group J (four points, six conceded).

• Spain conceded no goals in three rounds - the best defence in the group stage among teams who finished first.

• Spain are unbeaten in 33 matches in a row.

• Spain trail only Argentina in the FIFA rankings, while Austria are only 24th.

Form and Line-up Spain

Spain finished Group H with two wins and one draw: 0:0 with Cape Verde and a performance from Vozinha, 4:0 against Saudi Arabia and Yamal's full return, and 1:0 against Uruguay, where the opposition generated only 0.20 xG. Unai Simon is solid in goal, Yamal (a goal as early as the 10th minute against the Saudis) and Rodri (94% passing accuracy) are driving attacks effectively, while Mikel Oyarzabal has been sharp in the final third, following an underwhelming game against Cape Verde with a brace against Saudi Arabia.

Key numbers for Spain:

• Their last defeat in normal time came on 22 March 2024 against Colombia (0:1).

• In the previous 13 matches, Spain kept a clean sheet in 10 of them.

• At the World Cup, Spain have lost only once in their previous 12 matches.

Probable line-up (4-3-3): Unai Simon - Marcos Llorente, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella - Rodri, Dani Olmo, Pedri - Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, Alex Baena.

Absentees: Yeremy Pino, Nico Williams (both doubtful due to injuries).

Form and Line-up Austria

Austria started with a win over Jordan (3:1), where Marko Arnautovic was the main hero); then lost to Argentina (0:2) with historic goals from Messi, and in the decisive round drew 3:3 with Algeria, rescuing the game in the final minutes and reaching the play-offs thanks to the best goal difference among teams on four points. Austria have little to boast about - goalkeeper Schlager conceded six goals in three rounds, while the centre of defence with veteran Alaba and Lienhart can hardly be called reliable. Marcel Sabitzer scored only once in the group stage, and all the hope in attack rests solely on Arnautovic, who has already turned 37.

Key numbers for Austria:

• 6 goals conceded in 3 rounds - the second-worst figure among second-placed teams at the World Cup.

• In their last 6 World Cup matches, Austria have won only once (against Jordan, 3:1).

• Austria have conceded in 12 consecutive World Cup matches.

Probable line-up (4-2-3-1): Alexander Schlager - Stefan Posch, Philipp Lienhart, David Alaba, Philipp Mwene - Nicolas Seiwald, Xaver Schlager - Konrad Laimer, Romano Schmid, Marcel Sabitzer - Marko Arnautovic.

Absentees: -.

Team Chances

Let us convert the odds into probabilities and remove the built-in margin (~5%). The line: Spain 1.31, draw 5.35, Austria 10.00.

After removing the margin, a Spain win is around 72.6%, the draw is 17.8%, and an Austria win is 9.5%. The market expects the favourites to dominate, but does not rule out a goal for the visitors - hence the high price on Both teams to score - Yes (2.29).

Alternative Bets

• Spain to win + Over 2.5 goals - 2.07: there were 4+ goals in the match against Saudi Arabia (4:0) and in the game against Algeria (3:3).

• Over 2.5 goals - 1.83: Austria were involved in two high-scoring matches (3:1, 3:3), while Spain steamrollered Saudi Arabia.

• Both teams to score - No - 1.55: Spain did not concede a single goal in the group.

• Spain to win to nil - 1.93: Spain kept three clean sheets in the group stage.

• Austria to score - 2.08: the visitors scored in every round of Group J.

Total Goals Prediction

The totals line is tilted towards the over - both teams were involved in high-scoring matches in the group stage.

Over 2.5 at 1.83 is an alternative if Austria play openly. Under 2.5 at 1.97 applies if Spain close the match down after an early goal, as they did against Uruguay (1:0).

Handicap Prediction

The (-1.5) handicap at 2.00 is the main choice. The (-1) handicap at 1.43 is more conservative: with a 1:0 win, the bet does not land.

Both Teams to Score Prediction

Yes - 2.29, No - 1.55. Austria scored in every round, while Spain did not concede in the group stage. Austria scored against national teams below the very top level (Jordan, Algeria), but did not score against Argentina, managing only one shot on target. Against Spain, the situation will be similar, with La Roja's defence having avoided mistakes in 10 of their last 13 matches.

Double Chance Prediction

1X at 1.05 is for accumulators; X2 at 3.20 is too risky, and there is a reason Spain are considered one of the main favourites: Austria are not the team to spring a shock.

Individual Total Prediction

Standard lines: Spain - 1.5 goals, Austria - 0.5 goals.

Spain Individual Total

The market expects at least two goals from Spain. Spain over 1.5 goals at 1.52 is a decent option, while Spain over 0.5 goals at 1.05 is almost a fait accompli.

Austria Individual Total

Austria over 0.5 goals at 2.05 is a balanced line: Austria scored in every round, but against the best defence in the tournament, an opposition goal is far from guaranteed.

Correct Score Prediction

The most likely scenarios are a Spain win to nil by two goals or a tighter match with one goal scored, but a total rout of Austria cannot be ruled out either.

When and Where to Watch

The match will start on Thursday, 2 July 2026 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood (USA) at 20:00 BST.

Live broadcasts of World Cup matches in the UK: BBC Sport and ITV.

Who will referee the match

Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)

Matches – 24 (International matches, 2025–2026);

Average fouls per match – 23;

Average yellow cards per match (including second yellow cards) – 3.2;

Matches with red cards – 3 out of 24;

Matches with penalties – 6 out of 24.