Dolphins vs Raiders Live Today: Game Time, TV Channel, Odds, and Must-Watch Storylines Revealed

The 2026 NFL season kicks off with a marquee AFC showdown as the Miami Dolphins travel west to face the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, September 13 (4:25 p.m. ET/1:25 p.m. PT). Fresh off consecutive playoff runs, Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins arrive with sky-high expectations. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returns after leading the league’s No. 2 passing offense last year, flanked by the NFL’s fastest receiving duo in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Miami further bolstered its speed by drafting burner RB Trey Barnes, giving new play-caller Frank Smith even more mismatches to exploit on the perimeter. The Raiders, meanwhile, begin the Antonio Pierce era looking to reclaim dominance in the desert. Veteran signal-caller Aidan O’Connell won a heated camp battle and will lean on All-Pro wideout Davante Adams plus dynamic rookie tight end Brock Bowers. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham spent the offseason re-tooling a unit that already features edge menace Maxx Crosby and newly signed CB Patrick Surtain II. Key matchups to watch • Crosby vs. RT Austin Jackson – Jackson allowed just three sacks in 2025, but Crosby’s relentless motor (16.5 sacks) can wreck any game plan. • Hill/Waddle vs. Raiders secondary – With Marcus Epps patrolling deep and Surtain shadowing Hill, look for Waddle and TE Durham Smythe to attack the seams. • Red-zone efficiency – Miami ranked 5th inside the 20, while Vegas ranked 27th. Early-season chemistry for O’Connell and Bowers could swing this metric. Stat nugget: The Dolphins haven’t opened on the road against the Raiders since 2005, a 23-17 Miami victory. They are 5-1 all-time in Week 1 meetings with the Silver & Black. Prediction Expect fireworks indoors: both offenses thrive on tempo and vertical shots, and neither secondary is fully battle-tested yet. Turnovers will be decisive; Tagovailoa posted a league-low 1.3 percent interception rate in 2025, while the Raiders defense generated just 14 takeaways (30th). If Miami’s revamped pass rush, led by Bradley Chubb and rookie edge Malik Jordan, flusters O’Connell early, the Dolphins should seize momentum. Final score: Dolphins 31, Raiders 27.