Brandon Nakashima vs Marin Cilic preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and betting tips

Match details

Combinations: (7) Brandon Nakashima vs. Marin Cilic

date: February 17, 2026

Championship: Delray Beach is open

circular: First round (round of 32)

place: Delray Beach Tennis Center, Delray Beach, United States

category: ATP 250

surface: difficult

Prize money: $700,045

live feed: USA – Tennis Channel | United Kingdom – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN+

Brandon Nakashima vs. Marin Cilic match summary

Seventh seed Brandon Nakashima will face former US Open champion Marin Cilic in the first round of the 2026 Delray Beach Open.

Nakashima started the season strong by reaching the final of the Brisbane International. He beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Quentin Hales, Rafael Collignon and Aleksandar Kovacevic before losing to Daniil Medvedev.

However, Nakashima was unable to maintain this momentum and was eliminated in the first round of the Australian Open. Then he competed in the Dallas Open last week. He started his campaign with a routine win over Mattia Bellucci, then lost to top seed Taylor Fritz in the second round.

Cilic reached the second round of his first tournament of the season, the Hong Kong Open, and advanced to the third round of the Australian Open afterwards. He beat Learner Tien in the first round of the Dallas Open, and followed it up with victories over Ethan Coen and Jack Pennington Jones to reach the fourth round.

Cilic faced Fritz in his first semi-final of the season. The veteran put up a fight but eventually lost the match in two tiebreaks. He returned to compete in the Delray Beach Open for the first time since 2014 when he won the title.

Brandon Nakashima vs Marin Cilic

Cilic leads their rivalry 1-0. He won their previous encounter at the 2024 Hangzhou Open in straight sets.

Brandon Nakashima vs Marin Cilic

(Odds via BetMGM)

Brandon Nakashima vs. Marin Cilic predictions

Nakashima struggled to get going after a positive start to the season. He has a 5-3 record this year but has lost three of his last four games. On the other hand, Cilic’s performance is improving with every tournament. He has a 6-3 record on the season, reaching the semifinals in Dallas last week.

The last time Cilic competed in the Delray Beach Open, he won the title. However, that was more than a decade ago. Everyone he beat on his way to the title has already retired. However, the Croatian is still strong, giving players younger than him a run for their money.

Cilic’s first-round win over Tien in Dallas marked his 600th career win. He had previously won his only match against Nakashima in straight sets. Given his current form, a repeat of this result would not be surprising.

He chooses: Marin Cilic wins in straight sets.

Brandon Nakashima vs. Marin Cilic Betting Tips

Tip 1The match will include at least 20 matches.

Tip 2Cilic to win at least one set 6-3.