Last Updated on September 30, 2026 7:28 am by Allen
Team Overview
The Raiders are rebuilding again after a 3-14 finish in 2025 that included a 10-game losing streak and cost Pete Carroll his job after just one season. Las Vegas hired former Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who helped lead Seattle to a Super Bowl LX appearance, as its new head coach, and used the No. 1 overall pick on Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, though veteran Kirk Cousins won the Week 1 starting job after signing a five-year, $172 million deal in free agency.
With general manager John Spytek overhauling the roster around Kubiak, Las Vegas enters 2026 as the clear last-place favorite in the AFC West, hoping for real progress in year one of a fresh rebuild.
Offensive Line Analysis
Las Vegas made the biggest free-agent splash on the offensive line in the league, signing center Tyler Linderbaum away from Baltimore to a three-year, $81 million deal, the richest contract for a center in franchise history. Linderbaum joins left tackle Kolton Miller to anchor a retooled group tasked with fixing a line that allowed a league-worst 64 sacks in 2025 and giving second-year running back Ashton Jeanty room to work.
Defensive Line Analysis
Star edge rusher Maxx Crosby returns after a bizarre offseason saga in which he was nearly traded to Baltimore for two first-round picks before the Ravens backed out over concerns about his surgically repaired knee. Crosby pairs with free-agent addition Kwity Paye up front, while linebackers Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean, reunited from their days as Georgia teammates, give the front seven a completely different look than a year ago.
2026 NFL Season
Week 4
Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders | Sunday, October 4 | 4:25 PM ET | Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas is a home underdog in a battle of unbeatens, priced at +185 on the moneyline against Kansas City’s -225, with the Chiefs favored by 4.5 points and the total set at 47.5. Both the Raiders and Chiefs enter 3-0, making this the biggest test yet of whether Las Vegas’s hot start is legitimate against the team that’s owned the division for most of the past decade.
A statement-game opportunity for Kubiak’s Raiders at home against the AFC West’s defending standard-bearer.
Week 3 Recap
Raiders 35, Saints 27 | Sunday, September 27 | Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Las Vegas outlasted New Orleans on the road to move to 3-0, the franchise’s best start in years under first-year coach Klint Kubiak. Kirk Cousins and the offense did enough to hold off a game Saints team, keeping the Raiders perfect through the first quarter of the season.
Week 3
Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints | Sunday, September 27 | 1:25 PM ET | Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Las Vegas is a road underdog, priced at +150 on the moneyline against New Orleans’s -180, with the Saints favored by 3.5 points and the total set at 44.5. New Orleans enters 1-1 after a surprising 24-17 win over Baltimore, giving the Raiders a real test of whether their 2-0 start is for real against a Saints team playing well above expectations.
A potential 3-0 start is on the table for Las Vegas, but on the road against a Saints team that just knocked off the Ravens.
Week 2 Recap
Raiders 26, Chargers 14 | Sunday, September 20 | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Kirk Cousins threw touchdown passes to Tre Tucker and twice to Cody White as Las Vegas pulled away in the second half, improving to 2-0 under Klint Kubiak. The Raiders forced a fourth-and-goal stop at the 1-yard line and capitalized on a late Chargers fumble to seal their best start in years.
Week 2
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers | Sunday, September 20 | 4:05 PM ET | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Las Vegas is a road underdog in this AFC West rematch, priced at +250 on the moneyline against Los Angeles’s -310, with the Chargers favored by 7 points and the total set at 45.5. The Chargers are coming off the biggest upset of Week 1, a 26-14 home loss to Arizona as a 9.5-point favorite, giving the Raiders a real chance to steal a road divisional win in Kubiak’s second game.
A division matchup between a team riding high after Week 1 and one desperate to erase the league’s most surprising loss.
Week 1 Recap
Raiders 27, Dolphins 13 | Sunday, September 13 | Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas opened the Klint Kubiak era with a statement win, as Kirk Cousins completed his first 10 passes and reached 301 career touchdown passes, while rookie safety Treydan Stukes intercepted Malik Willis for the Raiders’ first rookie defensive interception in a debut since 1982. Las Vegas controlled the clock throughout in the 27-13 win, doing it without star tight end Brock Bowers, who is still recovering from offseason knee surgery.
Week 1
Dolphins at Raiders | Sunday, September 13 | 4:25 PM ET | Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas opens as a home favorite, priced at -180 on the moneyline against Miami’s +150, with the Raiders favored by 3 and the total set at 41.5 points. Both teams enter with brand-new coaching staffs, but Las Vegas has the more settled quarterback situation with Kirk Cousins under center over rookie Fernando Mendoza.
Two rebuilding franchises open the season together, and the edge here comes down to Kubiak’s experienced coaching staff against an equally new-look Dolphins operation.
Odds to Win Division and Super Bowl
Odds to Win AFC West: +2000
Odds to Win Super Bowl: +15000
Predictions
Overall Record: The Raiders are projected to finish around 5-12, roughly in line with a 5.5 win total.
Playoff Chances: Among the longest odds in the conference to make the postseason
Super Bowl Chances: Not a realistic factor in 2026
Las Vegas has meaningfully upgraded its roster and coaching staff, but a full defensive overhaul and a rookie quarterback waiting in the wings mean patience is still the name of the game. Expect steady progress under Kubiak, with the Raiders positioning themselves for a real step forward once Mendoza is ready to take over.
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