A viscoplastic stress model is used to predict contraction forces measured during casting of two binary Mg-Al alloys. Force measurements from castings that did not hot tear, together with estimates from data found in the literature, are used to obtain the high-temperature mechanical properties needed in the stress model. In the absence of hot tearing, the simulation results show reasonably good agreement with the measurements. It is found that coherency of the semisolid mush starts at a solid fraction of about 0.5 and that the maximum tensile strength for the Mg-1 and 9 wt pct Al alloys at their final solidification temperatures is 1.5 and 4 MPa, respectively. In the presence of hot tearing, the measured stresses are generally overpredicted, which is attributed to the lack of a fracture model for the mush. Based on the comparison of measured and predicted stresses, it is also shown that coupling of the stress model to feeding flow and macrosegregation calculations is needed in order to accurately predict stresses in the presence of hot tearing.