The Buffalo Bills (4-1) visit the Las Vegas Raiders (3-2) on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 4:25 p.m. ET (1:25 p.m. PT) at Allegiant Stadium. The game airs on CBS. Below, we compare both teams through five games, look at the injuries that matter and give our score prediction.
Where both teams stand after five games
Buffalo has the better record and a far better point differential, but its games have been shootouts. The Bills score 32.8 points per game and allow 28.2. Las Vegas started 3-0, then lost to Kansas City by three and to New England by 28.
Per-game figures are SprintDesk calculations from final scores on the official ESPN team schedules and team recaps, checked October 15, 2026.
Buffalo's results: beat Houston 36-31, beat Detroit 41-31, beat the Los Angeles Chargers 24-16, lost to New England 29-26, beat the Los Angeles Rams 37-34 in overtime.
Las Vegas's results: beat Miami 27-13, beat the Los Angeles Chargers 26-14, beat New Orleans 35-27, lost to Kansas City 30-27, lost to New England 45-17.
What the common opponents tell us
Both teams have played the Chargers and the Patriots, which gives us a rare side-by-side comparison.
The split cuts both ways. Las Vegas handled the Chargers more convincingly, and did it away from home. But its loss in New England was the worst performance by either team this season: the Patriots outgained the Raiders 536 yards to 306.
Three factors that will decide the game
1. Buffalo's ball security against a takeaway defense. Through five games, the Bills are tied for third in the NFL with 10 fumbles and tied for second with five fumbles lost. Their turnover margin is minus-4, which ranks 24th. Las Vegas has forced 10 turnovers, tied for the league lead, and leads the NFL with 11 forced fumbles, according to the Bills' official site. This is the clearest statistical opening for the Raiders.
2. Buffalo's defense against Brock Bowers. The Bills rank 30th in total defense, 31st in pass defense and 28th in points allowed. Bowers has 16 catches for 202 yards and two touchdowns over his last two games. Buffalo's defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard has said the unit is too inconsistent and that lineup and play-call changes are under review.
3. Whether Las Vegas can run the ball at all. The Raiders were held to a season-low 38 rushing yards against New England, and NFL.com noted the offense was not built to function without a running game. Ashton Jeanty has 291 rushing yards in five games and played through ankle and foot injuries last week. If Kirk Cousins has to throw 50 times again, as he did against Kansas City, Buffalo's pass rush gets more chances.
Injury report: who to watch
Status as of Tuesday, October 13. Practice reports run Wednesday through Friday, and final game designations are due Friday at 4 p.m. ET.
Sources: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle via Yahoo Sports and DK Network.
Buffalo's list is longer and hits two areas that matter here. Without Moore and Palmer, Josh Allen threw only 19 passes against the Rams. Without Brown, backup tackle Tylan Grable was flagged twice in relief.
Strengths and concerns for each team
Buffalo Bills
Strength: an offense averaging 32.8 points per game, with 30 or more points in three of five games.
Strength: a perfect 2-0 road record, including an overtime win at the Rams six days before this game.
Concern: a defense ranked 28th in points allowed and 31st against the pass.
Concern: 10 fumbles and a minus-4 turnover margin, plus injuries at wide receiver and right tackle.
Las Vegas Raiders
Strength: a defense tied for the NFL lead with 10 takeaways.
Strength: Brock Bowers, who has 202 receiving yards over his last two games.
Concern: a running game held to 38 yards in Week 5.
Concern: two straight losses, the last by 28 points, and a 1-1 record at home.
An old AFL series that Buffalo has owned lately
The Raiders lead the regular-season series 21-20, according to the Raiders' official matchup history, while Buffalo has won both playoff meetings, including the 1990 AFC Championship Game, 51-3. The Bills have won the last three meetings. That includes a 30-23 win in Las Vegas in October 2020 and a 38-10 win in Buffalo in September 2023, the most recent game between the teams.
SprintDesk's prediction
Our prediction: Raiders 27, Bills 24.
On paper, Buffalo is the better team. It has a +23 point differential to the Raiders' +3, and it has not lost on the road. We give the edge to Las Vegas , because this matchup lines up with Buffalo's two biggest weaknesses.
First, ball security. The Bills have lost five fumbles in five games, and the Raiders lead the league in forced fumbles. One or two extra possessions matter in a game we expect to be close. Second, Buffalo's pass defense ranks 31st, and Bowers is the kind of target that defense has struggled to cover. Add a short week after an overtime game and missing receivers and a starting tackle, and we see the Raiders winning a one-score game late.
We do not expect a blowout either way. Las Vegas has only one home win, and its run game has to look far better than it did in New England.
What could change our view: if Buffalo plays a clean game with zero turnovers, the Bills become the more likely winner. If DJ Moore and Spencer Brown both return, expect Allen's passing game to look closer to its Week 1 and 2 form. If the Raiders are held under 50 rushing yards again, Cousins is unlikely to carry the offense on his own.
How our prediction held up
Update after the game: final score, what we got right and what we missed.
Sources
NFL – Bills at Raiders, Week 6 game center – records and venue.
ESPN – Las Vegas Raiders 2026 schedule – results and kickoff time.
ESPN – Buffalo Bills 2026 schedule – Weeks 1–3 results.
Buffalo Bills – Patriots 29, Bills 26 – Week 4 result.
Buffalo Bills – Bills 37, Rams 34 – Week 5 result.
Buffalo Bills – Top Bills game storylines vs. Raiders – defensive ranks, fumbles, Raiders takeaways, Brock Bowers.
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle via Yahoo Sports – Bills vs. Raiders injury update – injuries for both teams.
DK Network – NFL Week 6 injury report – injury designations.
NFL.com – Week 5: What We Learned – Raiders' 38 rushing yards.
Fox Sports – Raiders vs. Patriots box score – total yards.
Raiders.com – Raiders vs. Bills matchup history – all-time series.
