Austria v Scotland Prediction: Cards to play a factor in Vienna

Live on Sky Sports, Scotland head to Vienna to face Austria in what is a massive fixture in Group F. This Tuesday night fixture sees two nations go head to head separated by just a point halfway through the qualifying fixtures.

Scotland picked up their first win in 5 on Saturday, securing all 3 points in a 1-0 win over Moldova thanks to an early strike from Lyndon Dykes. The performance wasn’t pretty but the win means it’s looking like the battle for 2nd place will go down to the wire between three teams.

Austria’s 5-2 loss to Israel on the weekend has seen them drop to 4th in the group, making this a must win for them also. Franco Foda has no fresh injury concerns ahead of this clash but will still be without Marcel Sabitzer. As for Scotland, Ryan Fraser and Kenny McLean have been ruled out but Clarke will be hopeful on the fitness of captain Andrew Robertson.

Cards look a good way in here and the magnitude of this game should only help. The reverse at Hampden Park in a thrilling 2-2 draw saw a total of 7 cards, with this bet landing by the 70th minute. I don’t expect either team to runaway with this one, so time-wasting could become a factor in the latter stages of the game. A must win for both teams should encourage a great atmosphere, so for my main play I am happy to take on this 2/1 shot.

A huge price for a booking in a game where we could see cards. As short as 3/1 elsewhere it’s easy to see why.

The Austrian midfielder has been booked in 75% of his WCQ campaign games this season, picking up his 3rd in his last outing on Saturday vs Israel. Averaging a card roughly every 4 games domestically these past few seasons, Grillitsch should be the man in the middle stopping any Scottish counter attacks. McGinns’ drive from midfield should keep the Austrian on his toes, and at 7/1 I am more than happy to make this our second play.

For the long-shot I’m going big, and have selected three players I think are decently priced for cards. It would be rude not to have a card treble in a game which could explode on the card front.

Arnautovic (priced 6/1 as a single) has a history of attitude problems and the way he carries himself on the pitch sees him pick up the odd card. Booked twice in his last 6 games he bodes for this treble. On top of the already explained Grillitsch, I am also adding John McGinn to this bet to create a monster 160/1 price. The most carded premier league player last season isn’t shy of the dirty work for his team, so he completes the booking treble for the longshot.