Czech Republic vs Ireland Prediction: Momentum is with the Boys in Green

We are less than three months away from the Fifa World Cup finals but there are still some places up for grabs. One of Thursday's Uefa play-off ties comes from Fortuna Arena in Prague as the Czech Republic host the Republic of Ireland (19:45 GMT, Prime Video).

My Czech Republic vs Ireland predictions can be found below, including the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Patrik Schick bagged four goals for the Czech Republic in their qualifying group and he has been able to make the latest squad after overcoming some recent injury issues.

Tomas Soucek, who is known for his goal-scoring feats from midfield, is set to anchor the hosts' engine room on Thursday night. He may be joined by Pavel Sulc, who has recovered from a hamstring problem.

Football Odds

Ireland are having to cope without several players ahead of this crunch clash. Josh Cullen and Evan Ferguson have been ruled out through injury, while Festy Ebosele and Liam Scales are both suspended.

Harvey Vale has received his first senior call-up and he could make his debut for the Boys in Green on Thursday.

Boss Heimir Hallgrimsson recently signed a new contract with the Football Association of Ireland until the end of Euro 2028.

Czech Republic vs Ireland Odds

The Czech Republic have won three of their past six competitive matches and they are a 1/1 bet to prevail inside 90 minutes on Thursday.

One of the two previous competitive meetings ended in a draw and the stalemate this time around is valued at 12/5.

Ireland are an 11/4 shot to make it four wins on the spin.

Troy Parrott netted five goals in qualifying for the visitors and he is 11/5 to strike anytime.

Draw No Bet - Ireland @ 13/8

From an unlikely position, Ireland went on a winning streak to book their place in the play-offs at Hungary's expense. They come into Thursday's game with a lot of momentum as they bid to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 2002.

The Czech Republic have also been absent from the world stage for some time, with 2006 the last time they qualified for the showpiece. Their recent form has been mixed but they do have the home advantage, which they will hope can play its part against an in-form Ireland side.

However, given Ireland's winning streak, I'm inclined to favour the away side but I think the safest play is the draw no bet market at 13/8, which has an implied probability of 38.1%.

Today's Football Fixtures

Both Teams To Score - Yes @ 10/11

Both teams will be pumped up for this contest with a place in the Path D final at stake. The two sides boast prolific scorers in Schick (Czech Republic) and Parrott (Ireland) so there may be goals on offer in Prague.

BTTS - Yes has been a successful bet in two of the hosts' past five competitive fixtures ahead of this semi-final tie. For Ireland, this market has landed in three of their previous six qualifiers. I think this market is worth covering here.

Opt in & build your own Bet Builder (3/1+) of 3+ legs on any UEFA World Cup Qualifying match on Thursday and get a 50% cash Winnings Bonus if your bet wins!

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.