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The Las Vegas Raiders have selected quarterback Fernando Mendoza as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, sparking excitement for the upcoming season. The team's win total is set at 5.5 games as they enter a rebuilding phase.
HENDERSON, NEVADA - APRIL 24: Quarterback Fernando Mendoza (L), selected yesterday by the Las Vegas Raiders as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, looks on as Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak speaks during a news conference at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on April 24, 2026 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This offseason has drummed up quite a bit of excitement surrounding the Las Vegas Raiders. Primarily because itās about to be a new era in Las Vegas, as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, Fernando Mendoza, is set to take over as the franchise quarterback. However, thereās no guarantee that Mendoza will be a Week 1 starter, and the Raiders are entering year one of a rebuild.
As a result, our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook have the Silver and Blackās win total set at just 5.5 games. Now that the NFL schedule has officially been released, letās make an early prediction on how the season will unfold and see how the Raiders can hit the over.
Prediction: Win
The Dolphins will be one of the favorites to hold the No. 1 pick next spring, as they tore their roster down this offseason to lay the foundation for a rebuild. The Raiders should be able to get this one at home.
Prediction: Loss
While Raider Nation is ever-present in SoFi Stadium when the AFC West rivals square off, the Raiders are and havenāt won there since 2020. Given that the Bolts are expected to be a contender this year, itās hard to see that trend ending this fall.
The Raiders selected quarterback Fernando Mendoza as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
The win total for the Las Vegas Raiders is set at 5.5 games for the 2026 season.
There is no guarantee that Fernando Mendoza will be the Week 1 starter for the Raiders.
The Raiders will face the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 of their 2026 schedule.
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Prediction: Loss
Not that it means much in the big picture of the league, but FanDuel is giving the Saints decent odds (+290) to win the NFC South next season. Thatās second behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and look for quarterback Tyler Shough to build on an impressive stretch at the end of his rookie year. Shough started nine games and tossed a 67.6 completion percentage, nearly 2,400 yards and 10 touchdowns to six interceptions. New Orleans is just one step ahead of Las Vegas in its rebuild.
Prediction: Win
Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and LCL at the beginning of December, threatening his availability at the beginning of the season. Also, that could cause him to get off to a slow start, and the final weeks of last season showed how reliant Kansas City is on the two-time MVP being behind center.
Prediction: Loss
Las Vegas ended up pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the NFL last year by taking down New England on the road. We just didnāt know that at the time, since it was the season opener. But the Patriots are a much different team than back then, coming off the heels of a Super Bowl run.
Prediction: Loss
It certainly feels like the Billsā Super Bowl window is closing, but this is a team that finished 12-5 in the regular season last year and was a couple of bone-headed mistakes away from meeting the Patriots in the AFC Championship. Itās hard to expect a young Raiders team to come away with a win here.
Prediction: Loss
The Rams are currently FanDuelās favorite to win it all and rightfully so. Los Angeles was four points away from going to the Super Bowl last season, and the majority of the roster is back. Las Vegas isnāt in a position to compete with that right now.
Prediction: Win
Geno Smith gets a chance to get revenge, but if heās anything like the quarterback who played for the Raiders last year, I like the Silver and Blackās chances to get a win on the road.
Prediction: Loss
Injuries have plagued the 49ers, and the infamous electrical substation is still sitting right next to the practice facility. Granted, the organization did its own research and determined that it was nothing more than a fun social media conspiracy. Regardless, San Francisco is a well-coached team that also has a lot of talent to take care of a young club in Vegas.
Prediction: Loss
The Silver and Black could have an advantage here since Klint Kubiak has some inside information on his former team. Also, in addition to their offensive coordinator, the Seahawks lost a handful of key players from last yearās team. However, this is a matchup between two teams that were on opposite ends of the first round of last monthās draft, so itās hard to see a major upset at this stage.
Prediction: Loss
The Raiders havenāt won in Denver since 2022, and the Broncos are widely expected to compete for the AFC Championship again. That makes it hard to see Las Vegas turning its fortunes in the Mile High City around this fall.
Prediction: Win
The Browns donāt have a bad roster top to bottom, but theyāre still figuring out the quarterback situation. Whether itās Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders, the Raiders have a good opportunity to get a road win here.
No prediction is necessary here, obviously. But the Raiders having the late bye week throws a small wrinkle into when Mendoza will make his first start, assuming he doesnāt begin the year as QB1. Had it been closer to the middle of the season, that would have helped create a more natural transition.
Prediction: Loss
Health is always a factor with the Chargers, especially since both of their offensive tackles missed more than half of last season, with Rashawn Slater sitting out for the entire campaign. But roster for roster, Los Angeles is ahead of Las Vegas and should be a Super Bowl contender.
Prediction: Loss
The Broncos are coming off an AFC Championship run and return the majority of their key players from one of the most complete rosters in the league. Granted, how Bo Nix returns from the broken ankle that knocked him and Denver out of the playoffs gives Las Vegas some hope. But right now, that roster is too strong to expect a young, rebuilding team to take them down.
Prediction: Win
As bad as the Raiders were last seasonāand boy, were they badāPete Carrollās crew still managed to take down the Titans at Allegiant Stadium. Barring a dramatic turnaround from Cam Ward and Robert Saleh, this should be one of the few games Las Vegas is favored in.
Prediction: Win
The Cardinals are another club thatās expected to be a lot closer to the No. 1 pick of the draft than making the playoffs. Arizona has too many question marks right now, so Las Vegas should be able to steal this one on the road.
Prediction: Loss
Patrick Mahomesā injury and how long it will take him to truly get back to 100 percent make this game difficult to predict several months in advance. For now, Iāll err on the side of Mahomes at least being good enough to help the Chiefs split the series against the Raiders, where the home team wins each matchup, like what happened in the 2025 campaign.
This would mean the over hits, but just barely. While the fanbase wants to see more immediate results, thatās just not realistic for a rebuilding team. Doubling last yearās win total would be a good start to the Mendoza era, especially if the Raiders can end the campaign on a high note to build some momentum heading into 2027.