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The Las Vegas Raiders made some significant improvements this offseason. Las Vegas brought in Pete Carroll as head coach and added talent all over the roster. The biggest additions were arguably trading for QB Geno Smith and drafting RB Ashton Jeanty during the 2025 NFL Draft.
Now the Raiders are ready to take the NFL by storm in 2025.
Las Vegas still has plenty of work to do on the roster, but they should be much more competitive than they were a season ago.
But just how successful will the Raiders be in Carroll's first season?
Will they compete for a playoff spot in the AFC? Or will 2025 bring more of the same for Raider Nation?
Below we will take a look at the Raiders' 2025 regular season schedule and give a game-by-game prediction for each matchup.
Week 1 at New England Patriots
The Raiders start the season with an intriguing matchup against the Patriots.
This will be a fascinating experiment, if only to compare how well Mike Vrabel and Pete Carroll have prepared their teams. Both are veteran NFL coaches who did not lead a team during the 2024 season.
Week 1 is always a little fluky, and this game has a chance to get really sloppy consider how rusty both head coaches could be.
If this game occurred in the middle of the season, I may lean towards the Patriots. But as a season opener, I think the Raiders can ride their superstars to a tight victory. WIN
Record: 1-0
Week 2 vs Los Angeles Chargers (MNF)
I see defense being the difference in this game.
I'll admit that the Chargers have an offensive that is not to be trifled with. However, I believe the Raiders will have a field day on offense, marching up and down the field.
LA could easily win this game if a few key plays break their way early.
But if the Raiders get into a rhythm on offense, I think they'll win by two scores. WIN
Record: 2-0
Week 3 at Washington Commanders
The Commanders made some aggressive moves to upgrade their roster this offseason.
Jayden Daniels now has Laremy Tunsil protecting his blindside and Deebo Samuel as a new favorite target.
The Raiders are fortunate to face the Commanders early in the regular season. Washington may not be at full strength by Week 3, which gives Las Vegas a chance to make this a close game.
Barring a dominant performance by Maxx Crosby, I don't see how the Raiders will slow the Commanders down on offense.
Las Vegas gets its first loss of the season. And it could be a blowout. LOSS
Record: 2-1
Week 4 vs Chicago Bears
The Bears may be the most improved team in the NFL after the 2025 offseason.
Chicago now has Ben Johnson at the helm and plenty of toys to play with on offense. It is reasonable to assume he'll be able to replicate what worked with the Lions with the Bears as well.
The Bears do not have an elite defense, but they could easily cause problems for Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty.
If the Raiders slip up just a few times on offense, the Bears could make them pay by quickly scoring on offense.
The losing streak continues. LOSS
Record: 2-2
Week 5 at Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are exactly the type of team the Raiders should easily beat.
Indianapolis has a questionable quarterback situation with third-year quarterback Anthony Richardson on bust watch.
Richardson has not proven that he can elevate talent around him. He's also provided plenty of evidence that his style of play may not be sustainable, as evidenced by his recent injury history.
I simply cannot see a path for Indianapolis to win this game.
The Raiders get back on track with a road victory. WIN
Record: 3-2
Week 6 vs Tennessee Titans
The Titans are almost the exactly opposite of the Colts.
I'm not hailing Cam Ward as a franchise quarterback just yet. But based on Ward's college production alone, he has proven he is a more experienced QB than Anthony Richardson.
But the comparison cuts both ways. The Colts have a well-rounded roster with talent at nearly every position. Meanwhile, the Titans still have a lot of work to do building their roster.
Tennessee has plenty of pieces already in place, even enough to be a frisky team in 2025.
That said, I can see too many ways that the Raiders win this game. WIN
Record: 4-2
Week 7 at Kansas City Chiefs
Adding Pete Carroll and Geno Smith makes these divisional matchup against the Chiefs much more interesting.
I think the Raiders have plenty of important pieces in place to eventually challenge the Chiefs on a consistent basis. Unfortunately, they are not there yet.
This game may end up getting ugly, as can happen in divisional matchups, but the Chiefs will find a way to win. LOSS
Record: 4-3
Week 8 BYE WEEK
Week 9 vs Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are not a perfect team. However, they do have a more well-balanced roster than the Raiders.
Trevor Lawrence has been the superstar he was billed to be when entering the NFL. But he is undeniably a franchise quarterback.
The Jaguars are entering a new era under head coach Liam Coen. Since this game occurs in Week 9, it is reasonable to assume he'll have gotten comfortable in his new role.
I can easily see a scenario where the Raiders win this game. I just think there's too much pointing to the Jaguars getting the win. LOSS
Record: 4-4
Week 10 at Denver Broncos (TNF)
The Raiders and Broncos will play each other twice between Weeks 10 and 14.
In this first matchup, I can see the Broncos beating up on an inferior opponent in the Raiders.
I don't think the Broncos will suddenly become an unstoppable team. Instead, I think they will know how they want to attack Las Vegas and will make the most of the talent they have.
Sean Payton pulls out all the stops to get a huge divisional win against the Raiders. LOSS
Record: 4-5
Week 11 vs Dallas Cowboys (MNF)
Raiders vs. Cowboys is the perfect game to put on Monday Night Football.
I would be surprised if the Cowboys cannot march in Las Vegas and get a win. Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons bring a lot of star power to the table.
The Raiders have stars of their own, but the Cowboys have a complete roster with depth at almost every position.
Las Vegas has a chance to win this one if they get some turnover luck. Barring that, I see them losing a big game in primetime. LOSS
Record: 4-6
Week 12 vs Cleveland Browns
This could be Ashton Jeanty's biggest game of his rookie season.
The Raiders should be terrified of Cleveland's pass rush and Myles Garrett. Especially because Las Vegas does not have a great offensive line.
One way to neutralize Garrett's skills as a pass rusher is to simply not pass the ball very much.
We already know that Pete Carroll loves to run the football. I believe the Raiders could easily win this game if they gain an early lead then suck the air out of the football.
I would be shocked if the Raiders lose to the Browns, especially at home. WIN
Record: 5-6
Week 13 at Los Angeles Chargers
This game could go much differently than the matchup in Week 2.
Both teams will be in a rhythm this far into the regular season. I believe that will benefit LA, the team with an advantage at both head coach and quarterback.
I'm also counting on some attrition to both sides because of injuries. It is impossible to tell where the injury bug will strike, but player inevitably get injured on every NFL team.
The Chargers are built better to withstand one or two injuries to important players. If Justin Herbert is healthy, I think he wills the Chargers to victory. LOSS
Record: 5-7
Week 14 vs Denver Broncos
I see this matchup being very different than their Week 10 game.
To start, the Raiders gain a significant advantage by playing at home instead of at Mile High. That will help level the playing field.
Pete Carroll and the rest of the coaching staff will have Week 10 film to draw from when preparing for this game. I think Carroll is resourceful enough to learn from that tape and prepare his team well for the Broncos.
The Raiders still need to give it everything they have to beat the Broncos. But I think they get it done here. WIN
Record: 6-7
Week 15 at Philadelphia Eagles
There's no need to waste much time with this matchup.
I don't believe the Eagles will go 17-0 in the regular season. However, without more information, I simply won't pick against them at this point in the offseason.
The Raiders lose to one of the NFL's best teams. LOSS
Record: 6-8
Week 16 at Houston Texans
This game could have significance for both teams with only a handful of weeks left in the regular season.
Any hope of a Raiders playoff berth rests on winning this game. It is impossible to tell how the Texans will stack up for playoff seeding by Week 16. But it is safe to assume they will have something to play for in this one.
Give me the team with the better overall roster. LOSS
Record: 6-9
Week 17 vs New York Giants (TBD)
This game gives me similar vibes to the Browns matchup from Week 12. Unfortunately for the Raiders, the Giants are a much better team than the Browns.
That may sound surprising, but hear me out.
The Giants can expect capable quarterback play from the combination of Wilson, Winston, and Dart. Their offense is by no means elite, but they have a nice handful of playmakers to complement superstar Malik Nabers. Oh, and they have a front seven that is even better than Cleveland's.
This game should be a defensive showdown and I believe that benefits the Giants more than the Raiders. LOSS
Record: 6-10
Week 18 vs Kansas City Chiefs (TBD)
Not to get too cheeky with my prediction, but I'm assuming the Chiefs have locked up a playoff spot by Week 18.
As such, I am approaching this game with the assumption that the Chiefs will rest most of their starters. If that is indeed the case, then the Raiders have a very good chance of winning this game.
It's possible that Las Vegas wins this game with Kansas City at full strength, but let's not push it with the assumption.
Regardless, I have the Raiders end the season on a high note. WIN
Record: 7-10
