Las Vegas Raiders Schedule Release: Predicting All 17 Games for 2026 Season

HENDERSON, Nev.-The National Football League has released its schedule moments ago, and our yearly, highly anticipated first prediction for the 2026 regular season is sure to have Raiders fans looking forward to the season.

A New Day

The 2026 season is about rebuilding. Who are we kidding? The entire franchise is predicated on rebuilding, and once one embraces that, the sooner the real expectations for the season can come into view. This harsh reality is made more palatable by the fact that the organization has embraced the old identity as a roadmap to getting back.

The Raiders are a young football team (I predict as many as 12 rookies could make the roster), and with that come young mistakes. Whether it be a first-time head coach, or two first-time coordinators on offense and defense, or a bevy of rookies as both draft picks and UDFAs, add to it some sophomores littering the depth chart, youth is served in Las Vegas.

Klint Kubiak is going to make mistakes, as is the rest of the organization, and that doesn't even take into account Fernando Mendoza, the franchise QB, whose playing status we don't even know. But with each mistake, when viewed through a lens of learning and rebuilding, one will see a foundation being laid for sustained long-term greatness and success.

Each loss in 2026 improves 2027 NFL Draft stock, and with the Raiders already having their young franchise QB in Fernando Mendoza, the higher those picks are, the more capital it can be traded for, ensuring the continued infusion of young talent on the roster.

How I Pick

I use ten sets of criteria when picking games. When everything is equal, I usually go with the home team.

As I originally looked at this schedule, I had the Raiders at 5-8 with four 50/50 games.

Now I said I usually give the home team the edge in a tie scenario, but not always. I will explain in more detail at the end.

2026 NFL Schedule and Initial Predictions

The Raiders' 2026 schedule features zero primetime games. We define that as a Monday, Thursday, Saturday, Holiday, or Sunday night primetime game.

We list each game, the week it is played, where it is played, and the network on which it can be watched. Followed by an explanation, and finally our prediction for that game, and in parentheses, the running total for the year.

Week Two September 20, 2026: @Los Angeles Chargers 1:05 CBS

The Chargers don't have a home-field advantage, especially against the Raiders at SoFi Stadium, and while the Raiders keep it close, the Bolts' Omarion Hampton runs the clock out, never giving the Raiders the chance for a final drive, and wins. LOSS (1-1)

Week Three September 27, 2026: @New Orleans Saints 1:25 p.m. CBS

The Saints are not a juggernaut, but they aren't the dilapidated team like the Jets, Browns, and Cardinals. They find a way to win a game against a Raiders team that has young players all over the field, but Kirk Cousins will lead the Silver and Black to a big victory. WIN (2-1)

Week Four October 4, 2026: Kansas City Chiefs 1:25 pm CBS

The Chiefs are a team that, despite an underwhelming 2025, is far from a rebuilding team. They are still the pride of the AFC West, and while the Raiders are clearly a rebuilding team, they are not doormats. Despite another loss, they show glimpses of what is to come. LOSS (2-2)

Week Five October 11, 2026: @New England Patriots 10:00 a.m. CBS

Despite an offseason of off-field distractions, the Patriots are well-run when it comes to football. They put on a clinic for Raider Nation as to what a rebuild looks like and pull away early in the fourth quarter for a double-digit win. LOSS (2-3)

Week Six October 18, 2026: Buffalo Bills 1:25 pm CBS

The Buffalo Bills are a loaded team that unexplainably made a coaching change after 2025. Despite a new coach, they have a Super Bowl roster and a truly elite franchise QB. The Raiders get a great look at an elite roster, and with half of Buffalo in the desert for the week, they take a loss but a great lesson. LOSS (2-4)

Week Seven October 25, 2026: Los Angeles Rams 1:25 FOX

The Raiders will have a unique view of the Super Bowl lXI on February 14, 2027, as I believe they will have played the eventual champion. The Rams have an elite roster led by Hall of Fame QB Matthew Stafford, an elite coach, and GM. They are built for greatness, at the zenith of potential, and they easily take care of the rebuilding Raiders. LOSS (2-5)

Week Eight November 1, 2026: @New York Jets 10am FOX

The J-E-T-S are the second-worst-run franchise in the NFL, and while that has more to do with the ownership at the top, it is a reality. Klint Kubiak shows the rest of the NFL why he was so highly thought of as an up-and-coming talent, as the Raiders pull a rabbit out of their hat and win on a last-second field goal. WIN (3-5)

Week Nine November 8, 2026: @San Francisco 49ers 1:05p.m. CBS

The second-best team in the NFL hosts the Silver and Black, and while the former Bay Area rivals renew acquaintances, the home team is not very friendly. The Raiders get a nice reminder of how far they have to go to be considered among the elite, but at the end of the day, they see reasons for optimism. LOSS (3-6)

Week Ten November 15, 2026: Seattle Seahawks 1:05pm CBS

The Seattle Seahawks are a terrific franchise with exceptional leadership from the GM, head coach, and roster, but they suffered major losses after winning Super Bowl LX, not the least of which was the departure of Klint Kubiak to the Raiders. The Silver and Black put up a valiant fight for their new head coach, but the Seahawks take down their former OC. LOSS (3-7)

Week Eleven November 22, 2026: @Denver Broncos 1:25p.m. CBS

The gap between the Raiders and the Broncos is not nearly as wide as that of other 2025 NFL Playoff teams, but youthful mistakes cost the Raiders a chance at their first road upset of the season. LOSS (3-8)

Week Twelve November 29, 2026: @Cleveland Browns 10:00a.m. FOX

Facing the worst run franchise in the NFL is a good thing for the Silver and Black on the road, and while the good people of Cleveland deserve better, they watch an iconic franchise and fan base show them what an intelligent rebuild looks like, and the Raiders don't blow them out, but are in command from start to finish for their most impressive road win of the 2026 season. WIN (4-8)

Week Thirteen December 6, 2026: BYE

I guarantee they don't lose!

Week Fourteen December 13, 2026: Los Angeles Chargers 1:05pm CBS

While I totally believe in Jim Harbaugh, I am not as big a fan of Justin Herbert as others. That is not a statement of his character, and I do think he is a good QB, but he has not shown me at any time the qualities that equate to a generational, or even a truly franchise QB. In the end, I think the Chargers and Raiders are closer than others in the AFC West. WIN (5-8)

Week Fifteen December 20, 2026: Denver Broncos 1:25pm CBS

The Broncos come to town, and while they are a playoff team, I don't think they are the juggernaut that the Kansas City Chiefs are. Fernando Mendoza has a ball tipped while driving for the winning touchdown, and the Raiders' rally dies. LOSS (5-9)

Week Sixteen December 27, 2026: Tennessee Titans 1:05pm FOX

Former GM Dave Ziegler returns to Las Vegas (AGM of the Titans), and the rebuilding franchise gives a glimpse to the Raider Nation of good things to come. The Titans haven't handled all of this rebuild well, but they are on track now after some tough lessons, and while the game is competitive, the Ziegler Bowl ends with a Raiders narrow win with an amazing Brock Bowers catch. WIN (6-9)

Week Seventeen January 3, 2027: @Arizona Cardinals 1:05p.m. CBS

The Cardinals may be tied with the New York Jets as the second-worst run franchise in the NFL. They are in flux, as so many positions and places are. The Raiders have momentum; they aren't a complete team, but the surge of adrenaline from a young team that believes in their coach leads to Fernando Mendoza throwing for his first multi-touchdown pass day and another Silver and Black triumph. WIN (7-9)

Week Eighteen TBD: @Kansas City Chiefs TBD TBD

The Chiefs are out to prove 2025 was an anomaly. Despite a slow start as superstar QB Patrick Mahomes returns slowly but intelligently, they are truly elite and demonstrate it, taking down the upstart Raiders easily and heading into the playoffs on a mission. LOSS (7-10)

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi as Las Vegas Raiders Schedule Release: Predicting All 17 Games for 2026 Season.

Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 5:43 PM.