* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
The Draw
Tuesday 7:45pm: Austria v Scotland
Sky Sports Main Event
Scotland were not convincing in their 1-0 win over Moldova on Saturday, but they got the job done and that is all that matters.
They now simply have to avoid defeat against Austria on Tuesday if they are to keep their play-off hopes alive and they will have taken comfort from Austria’s performances in their opening five games.
Austria have now lost 5-2 against fellow play-off rivals Israel on Saturday evening and were also beaten 4-0 at home by runaway group leaders Denmark in March.
Scotland, meanwhile, registered a 1-1 draw with Israel in March and a somewhat respectable 2-0 defeat to Denmark last week considering their lengthy injury list.
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The Scots proved that they are at Austria’s level in a 2-2 draw in Hampden Park in March and will be confident of at least repeating the feat.
Austria’s World Cup hopes are very much hanging by a thread, and they have given no indication so far that they are capable of beating the better sides in their group.
Both Scotland and Austria have only managed to beat Moldova and the Faroe Islands in their opening five games, and it could be a case of cancelling each other out on Tuesday night.
Both Teams to Score
Scotland have not been renowned for high-scoring thrillers under Steve Clarke but could be drawn into one against Austria on Tuesday.
The Scots have scored one goal or fewer in 12 of their last 15 competitive games under Clarke, while both teams have scored in just six of those games.
Only once since November 2018 have Scotland scored and conceded two goals in the same competitive game – a 2-2 draw with Austria in March.
Austria have been the great entertainers in Group F and have been involved in more goals than any other team in the group.
They conceded a staggering nine goals in two games against Denmark and Israel and are also the only team to concede to the Faroe Islands along with the Faroe Islands.
However, they also managed to put two past a Scottish defence that had not conceded two goals or more in their last 11 competitive games. It seems inevitable that both teams will score on Tuesday night.
Correct Score: 1-1
While it seems inevitable that both teams will score on Tuesday night, it is unlikely that they will match the four-goal thriller that they served up in March.
Scotland are rarely so exciting to watch and seem to be defined by low-scoring draws.
Five of their last six competitive draws have ended 0-0 or 1-1, with Austria being the sole exception.
They have only managed to score more than one goal on three occasions in their last 15 games, including the draw with Austria, a win over the Faroe Islands, and a win over massively depleted Czech Republic outfit in the Nations League last year.
Most recently, they scored just one goal against a Moldovan side that group leaders Denmark put eight past in March and it seems highly unlikely that Scotland will score two or more on Tuesday night.
However, Austria seem just as incapable of keeping a clean sheet, making a 1-1 draw the most likely outcome.
Austria v Scotland betting tips:
The Draw
Both Teams to Score
Correct Score: 1-1
* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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