Great Britain vs Austria Prediction & Picks - IIHF World Championship
International - IIHF World Championship
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by Taavi Pailk | in IIHF World Championship Picks
Great Britain makes its comeback in the top division of the IIHF World Championship on Saturday, facing Austria in its tournament opener at the Swiss Life Arena in Zurich, Switzerland.
Team GB had a three-year stint in the top division at the start of the decade and will be desperate to re-establish itself among the best 16 hockey nations in the world. During their last top-division campaign, the Brits earned just three points from seven games, beating Austria 4-2.
The Austrians made it into the playoffs in 2025, losing 6-0 to Switzerland in the quarterfinals. But on paper, their current squad isn’t anything special, and Great Britain will see Saturday’s matchup as one of the best opportunities to get something on the board at the tournament.
Austria’s World Championship success last year is widely viewed as somewhat of a fluke. They were relegated from the top division as recently as 2019 and hadn’t made it past the group stage before finding success at the 2025 edition.
To have a chance of replicating last year’s run, Austria must beat opponents like Great Britain, which will put extra pressure on the team. They must be at their best from Day 1, and the expectations might be too much for some players.
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Great Britain vs Austria Form
Table
| Teams | Pts | P | W | L | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
6
|
9 | 7 | 3 | 4 | -12 |
|
8
|
0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | -28 |
Great Britain and Austria Latest Matches
3/6 (50%)
3/6 (50%)
May 12, 2026 - International Friendly Games
May 10, 2026 - International Friendly Games
May 2, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 30, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Sep 1, 2024 - Olympic Qualification, Group D
Aug 30, 2024 - Olympic Qualification, Group D
4/5 (80%)
1/5 (20%)
May 2, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 30, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Sep 1, 2024 - Olympic Qualification, Group D
Feb 11, 2024 - Olympic Qualification, Group D
Feb 8, 2024 - Olympic Qualification, Group D
2/5 (40%)
3/5 (60%)
May 12, 2026 - International Friendly Games
May 10, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Aug 30, 2024 - Olympic Qualification, Group D
Aug 29, 2024 - Olympic Qualification, Group D
Feb 10, 2024 - Olympic Qualification, Group D
2/6 (33%)
4/6 (67%)
May 9, 2026 - International Friendly Games
May 2, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 30, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 24, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 23, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 16, 2026 - International Friendly Games
3/6 (50%)
3/6 (50%)
May 9, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 30, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 23, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 16, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Nov 6, 2025 - Germany Cup
Sep 1, 2024 - Olympic Qualification, Group D
2/6 (33%)
4/6 (67%)
May 2, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 24, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 9, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 8, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Nov 9, 2025 - Germany Cup
Nov 8, 2025 - Germany Cup
Players list
M. Robson
B. Bowns
L. Steele
D. Clements
B. Jenion
N. Halbert
T. Brown
M. Richardson
J. Tetlow
J. Hazeldine
B. Davies
L. Neilson
C. Neilson
J. Waller
C. Shudra
L. Kirk
J. Curran
O. Betteridge
B. Perlini
R. Lachowicz
R. Dowd
D. Kickert
A. Tolvanen
T. Nickl
P. Stapelfeldt
D. Maier
G. Biber
C. Unterweger
D. Hackl
B. Wolf
R. Schnetzer
T. Harnisch
M. Rebernig
P. Huber
S. Schwinger
L. Thaler
L. Wallner
L. Kolarik
V. Rohrer
P. Schneider
D. Zwerger
M. Huber
B. Nissner
Great Britain - Austria Key Points
- Great Britain won the last head-to-head matchup with Austria 4-2.
- Ahead of the tournament, Great Britain has built momentum with three straight wins over Italy.
- Austria has lost six of 10 games in 2026.
- In the last seven games, Austria has averaged only 1.86 goals.
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Our Great Britain vs Austria Prediction
Austria is rated as an odds-on favorite for this game, but it could be a potential banana skin for the team. They lost to Team GB when the teams last met at the World Championship, and Roger Bader’s team has faced some serious goal-scoring issues recently.
In 2026, Austria has scored more than three goals only three times in 10 games. During their set of friendly matches leading up to the tournament, they have been shut out twice in seven games.
Our prediction for Great Britain vs. Austria: Austria under 3.5 goals.
All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
