Croatia vs Spain Prediction: Croatia to Knock Out Hosts

The match between Spain and Croatia will take place on November 23, 2022.

With incumbent Davis Cup winners Russia missing this year's event, last year's runners-up Croatia are the top-ranked team in Malaga. With the arrival of former world number 12 Borna Coric, winner of the Cincinnati Masters in August, who missed last year's finals due to injury, Croatia have an extraordinarily strong, well-balanced squad this week. Borna Gojo was the surprise package of last season's championships, but the third choicer is unlikely to gate a match this time around, especially given that Croatia has possibly the strongest, most experienced doubles partnership here. Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic, rated fifth and eighth, finished runner-up against Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury at the ATP Finals.

Hosts Spain will be without world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the Davis Cup Finals after the Spaniard called his quits before the ATP Finals. Pablo Carreno Busta, the stand-in first choice, won the biggest victory of his career this year at the Canada Masters, but he has failed to maintain that energy regularly since. Option number two Roberto Bautista Agut is a well-known and experienced international tennis player who always gives his all for Spain, but with a global rating of 21, the hosts may wish their player's present ranks were reversed.

In a doubles decider, Marcel Granollers may team up with one of Carreno Busta or Bautista Agut, but either Albert Ramos-Vinolas or Pedro Martinez could put in a strong performance in front of home fans.

Cilic prefers the difficult indoor conditions over Carreno Busta, and the Croat leads their head-to-head 4-1. The match between RBA and Coric appears to be the closest of the three on Wednesday, although the Croat won their most recent encounter in straight sets on his route to the Cincinnati triumph in August, tying their head-to-head at 4-4. Home supporters should support Spain in both causes, but Mektic and Pavic appear to be the trump cards here. Croatia is favored to win 2-1 and eliminate the hosts early.

• 1x2 Croatia for 1.49
• 1x2 Spain for 2.565