Nadal vs. Tiafoe, Alcaraz vs. Cilic Predictions, Picks, Odds: US Open Round of 16
Nadal vs. Tiafoe, Alcaraz vs. Cilic Predictions, Picks, Odds: US Open Round of 16
The Round of 16 continues at the Men's U.S. Open on Monday, with four spots in the quarterfinals on the line. Tennis expert Mike Spector breaks down his two favorite matches from this slate and offers his best bets.
Frances Tiafoe vs. Rafael Nadal Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds
Date: Monday, September 5
Time: 1:25 pm ET
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Click Here for Tiafoe vs Nadal Odds
Frances Tiafoe vs. Rafael Nadal Prediction
No. 22 seed Frances Tiafoe is the last remaining hope for an American man to take home this U.S. Open title, as other highly thought-of contenders like Taylor Fritz were upset much earlier. However, Tiafoe is clearly comfortable at Flushing Meadows, as this is his third consecutive year making the fourth round at the U.S. Open. That is a feat last accomplished by an American a decade ago when Mardy Fish made it that far each year from 2010-12.
Rafael Nadal was one of the biggest unknowns among the top contenders entering the tournament, as many did not know what kind of form he would be in. Nadal played just one match after withdrawing from Wimbledon in the semifinals with an abdominal tear, and that one match was a three-set loss at Cincinnati against Borna Coric.
Tiafoe’s two head-to-head matches against Nadal came in 2019, one of them at a Grand Slam (Australian Open), and Nadal has won all five sets, with no set lasting longer than ten games. However, Tiafoe has been a much more seasoned player since then, and his ability to prolong this match and make Nadal work makes him a live underdog. Case in point, Tiafoe was down three set points in a first-set tiebreak against Diego Schwartzman in the last round but rallied for a 9-7 victory and never looked back.
Nadal enters on a 22-match Grand Slam winning streak, but the longer this tournament goes, the more we have to start questioning his ability to hold up physically.
Frances Tiafoe vs. Rafael Nadal Picks
- Frances Tiafoe ML (+400) (Bet $100 to win $400)
- Tiafoe-Nadal Over 35.5 Games (-115) (Bet $115 to win $100)
Marin Cilic vs. Carlos Alcaraz Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds
Date: Monday, September 5
Time: 8:15 pm ET
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Click Here for Cilic vs Alcaraz Odds
Marin Cilic vs. Carlos Alcaraz Prediction
Marin Cilic won the U.S. Open in 2014 and is now making his first fourth-round appearance for the first time since 2019 after outlasting Daniel Evans in four sets. Cilic’s shot-making was on point with 74 winners in his last match and may need every one of those against the No. 3 seed Carlos Alcaraz, as not many players have looked more impressive than the Spaniard.
Alcaraz has won nine consecutive sets to begin this tournament and has not even been pushed to a tiebreak yet. His serve has been broken six times thus far, but Alcaraz’s return game has been most impressive, converting on 19-of-34 break-point chances through the first three matches. He also owns a 2-1 head-to-head advantage over Cilic, with both wins coming on hard courts (Miami and Cincinnati) this year.
When Cilic won the title in 2014, he was seeded 16th. He has 20 ATP titles to his name and played in three Grand Slam finals altogether. His experience on this stage will make this match tougher than the experts suggest, especially since he has covered the game spread in ten of his last 11 Grand Slam matches.
Marin Cilic vs. Carlos Alcaraz Pick
- Marin Cilic +5.5 Games (-110) (Bet $110 to win $100)