Celtic vs LASK odds, prediction & picks August 19

The Celtic vs LASK odds make Martin O’Neill’s side a solid but not overwhelming home favourite in this UEFA Champions Path play-off, kicking off at 19:00 UTC (8pm UK). As of 08:07 UTC on August 19, Pinnacle listed Celtic at -147 moneyline, the draw +308, LASK +394. In American odds, minus is the stake needed to win $100 and plus the profit on $100, so -147 is 1.68 in decimal and +394 is 4.94.

Stripped of margin, the Celtic vs LASK odds imply roughly a 57% Celtic win, 24% draw and 19% LASK win. This is the first leg only — the return is at LASK’s Raiffeisen Arena in Linz on August 25, 2026.

How both clubs reached the play-off round

Neither side has kicked a European ball this season. Both entered the Champions Path play-off directly as domestic champions, skipping the third qualifying round of August 4-5 and 11, 2026. So neither has a European form line; both are priced off domestic evidence alone, a quirk also visible in our Champions League 2027 outright analysis. Celtic’s route is familiar but not comfortable: they have failed to qualify in five of their last seven attempts, most recently on penalties to Kairat.

Form, team news and the €14 million gap

Celtic have won all three competitive matches — Dundee 1-0 on August 3, 5-1 at Kilmarnock on August 9, 4-0 at Dundee United in the Scottish League Cup on August 15 — scoring 10, conceding one. LASK match that: GAK 3-0 in the ÖFB-Cup on July 31, Austria Wien 2-0 away on August 9, Ried 4-1 on August 14.

The caveat is LASK’s European record: 10 continental matches without a win. They are weaker defensively too, having sold centre-back Modou Kéba Cissé to Aston Villa, and striker Ramiz Harakaté is out with a cruciate ligament injury. Celtic lack right-back Alistair Johnston until September.

“They’re very fast and they’re very strong, they’re athletic and they are big,” said Martin O’Neill, manager at Celtic, speaking at Lennoxtown. (Celtic FC)

The money does most of the talking: €18.62 million base plus €2.1 million per win for the league phase, against €4.31 million for the Europa League — a €14 million swing that dwarfs the domestic pots tracked in our Premier League 2026-27 odds piece.

Match-Up & Markets

Favourite: Celtic at -147 (American) / 1.68 (decimal) at Pinnacle, quoted 08:07 UTC on August 19, 2026. Asian handicap Celtic -0.75 (-115), LASK +0.75 at +102, main total 2.75 goals (over -114 / under -100).

Predicted result: Celtic 2-1 — a home win that only half-covers -0.75, total over 2.75. Both sides are scoring freely, and the market’s own LASK team-total price implies the visitors probably score.

Markets worth a look:

• Celtic team total over 1.5 at -156 (1.64) — 10 goals in three matches against a defence rebuilt after Cissé’s sale.
• LASK over 0.5 team goals at -207 (1.48) — the shortest read on the away side scoring; LASK have nine goals in three wins under Kühbauer.
• LASK +0.75 Asian handicap at +102 (2.02) — priced against a Celtic side beaten at this stage in five of its last seven campaigns.

What the numbers argue against: the Celtic -1.5 alt-handicap at +181. First legs skew tight, LASK have conceded once all season, and the price does not cover that variance.

Odds correct as of August 19, 2026, 08:07 UTC. Informational only — not financial or betting advice. 18+ / 21+ depending on jurisdiction. See Responsible Gambling notice below.

FAQ

Q: Is Celtic vs LASK a one-off match?
A: No — it is the first leg, with the return in Linz on August 25, 2026.

Q: What happens to the loser?
A: They drop into the Europa League league phase rather than exiting Europe, collecting €4.31 million.

Q: Which path is this tie in?
A: The Champions Path, reserved for domestic title winners.

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