Keagan Smith gives his best bet on DraftKings Sportsbook along with a prediction and pick for Monday’s FIFA World Cup match between Argentina and Austria.
As the Group Stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup continues, we’re diving into each and every matchup to find value for bettors. There’s a much-anticipated fixture between Leo Messi’s Argentina squad and the Austrian side in Group J on Monday, setting up a tactical battle between one of the tournament favorites and a tough, physical underdog.
Kickoff for Argentina vs. Austria is scheduled for Monday, June 22 at 1 p.m. ET in Arlington, Texas. Let’s dive in for a top prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for this 2026 FIFA World Cup match.
The Argentinian side is always one of the favorites come World Cup time. Per the official FIFA rankings, they’re the No. 1 team on the planet by a slim margin. On DraftKings Sportsbook, they’re fourth on the leaderboard to be crowned champions at +800 odds.
Argentina didn’t have a difficult schedule in their most recent friendlies prior to the start of the World Cup. They downed Mauritania 2-1 and Zambia 5-0 back in March before wins of 2-0 and 3-0 over Honduras and Iceland earlier this month. The toughest test of their last five matches came in the tournament opener against Algeria, who come in at 31st in the FIFA rankings. That match ended in a 3-0 victory for Argentina on the heels of a Messi masterclass as the legendary footballer netted a hat trick. The scoring may have come only from him, but the squad looked quite good with nine total shots, six on target as well. While they did maintain possession for just 47% of the match, they logged a 90% mark in pass accuracy and delivered a largely clinical performance. Of course, Messi is the only player to have scored in the first match, but the surrounding talent such as Lautaro Martinez, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister hold down perhaps the best front half in the tournament. Julian Alvarez also came off the bench in the first match and provides additional punch. The back end isn’t flashy, but they’re reliable.
Austria will be the hardest fight against them yet, ranked 21st in the world rankings. This is only their first appearance in the World Cup since 1998, marking a major boost for the national program.
While Austria isn’t particularly likely to go far if they advance from the group stage, there’s reason to believe they can put up a fight. They won all three friendlies prior to this tournament, downing Tunisia 1-0 to start June after a 1-0 win over South Korea and a 5-1 result over Ghana back in March. They also began the World Cup in strong fashion, defeating Jordan 3-1 for their long-awaited first victory on this stage since 1990. In the win, they won the possession battle at 62% and completed 88% of their passes, tallying nine total shots with three on target. Goals also came from three different players in that one. Under the direction of Ralf Rangnick, the Austrians play a press-heavy style to force errors and pressure opposing sides, which should prove interesting against the Argentinians in this match. Marcel Sabitzer anchors the front half and led in the friendly stages with three goals, and Nicolas Seiwalk and Xaver Schlager play key roles in the midfield. In a big, physical back line, Philipp Lienhart and Stefan Posch do the same.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Argentina is a -170 favorite on the Moneyline. Austria holds +500 odds for an upset. Bettors can also get a draw at +300 value.
The Argentinian side is one of the favorites in the field for a reason, but this game isn’t likely to be a cakewalk. A commanding win by multiple goals feels highly unlikely given the quality of this Austrian lineup, so a -170 bet on Messi and Co. to emerge with a victory is a far better option than betting them on the spread. There’s not great value there though. With the aggressiveness Austria plays with, they’ll get a chance or two to convert quality looks with very little defensive pressure in front of them. However, that also means they’ll likely be punished in the open field at some point or another, which is what I think will make up the difference.
For bettors looking for a reliable pick without worrying about the value they’re getting, sure, take Argentina outright. Personally, I feel that taking both teams to score at -105 makes some sense in this one as well. The latter earns top billing.
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