Lionel Messi and Argentina take on Austria at the 2026 World Cup on Monday. Both teams can secure a spot in the knockout rounds with a win after Argentina beat Algeria and Austria defeated Jordan in their opening matches, but the Austrians enter the game as sizable underdogs. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET in Arlington, Texas.
The latest Argentina vs. Australia odds from FanDuel list Argentina as the -185 favorites on the 90-minute money line while Austria are +550 underdogs and a draw is priced at +310. Meanwhile, the Over/Under for total goals scored is 2.5. There are also plenty of other World Cup betting options available on sites like FanDuel, where you can use the latest FanDuel promo code to get $350 in bonus bets if your bet $5 for seven days.
You can also find Argentina vs. Austria picks from SportsLine’s experts including Martin Green, who has been profitable in his recent runs with the World Cup and Spain’s La Liga. Anyone following his World Cup betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
Argentina vs. Austria betting odds
Argentina vs. Austria betting preview
Father Time hasn’t fully caught up to Messi just yet. The all-time great tallied a hat trick in Argentina’s opening victory over Algeria. Messi turns 39 on Wednesday, and while he now spends more time than ever walking or standing still during games, he still has the technical and sprinting ability to be one of the most dangerous scorers on the planet. The Argentine system is built around maximizing these bursts from Messi, and it worked to aplomb against Algeria.
Austria should represent a tougher test. The No. 21 team in the global rankings, Austria lack a true standout star but boast many important role players from big teams, including Bayern Munich’s Konrad Laimer and Real Madrid’s David Alaba. Their 3-1 win over Jordan represented a good start to the World Cup campaign, but a date with the reigning champions will be a much harder challenge.
Austria are a respectable side and should feel confident in their ability to get through to the knockouts. But advancement may be dependent on a victory over Algeria in their third match, as Argentina should have the quality to win on Monday.
Argentina vs. Austria picks, prediction
Argentina money line
SportsLine’s Martin Green is taking La Albiceleste to win outright, saying that Argentina’s sheer firepower should be too much for the Austrians to handle. “Even if Messi isn’t firing on all cylinders,” Green says, “they can call upon Lautaro Martínez and Júlian Álvarez, so they should win this game.”
Lionel Messi anytime goalscorer +105
The fact that Messi is still available at plus money after his hat trick against Algeria is notable. The oddsmakers are likely setting this number with Austria’s superior defense in mind, but Messi is the best of all time at picking locks and finding a way through. With the Argentine system still built around him, we’ll back the greatest of all time to score again.
