Josh Allen and the red-hot Buffalo Bills roll into Allegiant Stadium looking to keep their roll going against a reeling Las Vegas Raiders squad.
Game details
| When | Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 4:25 PM ET |
| Where | Allegiant Stadium |
| TV | CBS |
| Line | Buffalo Bills -4.5 | O/U 53 (market view) |
| Buffalo Bills record | 4-1 |
| Las Vegas Raiders record | 3-2 |
Overview
The Buffalo Bills sit at 4-1 and own a one-game winning streak after outlasting the Los Angeles Rams 37-34 on Monday, October 12. Before that win, Buffalo dropped a 26-29 decision to the New England Patriots at home, but the three wins prior to that, over the Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit Lions and Houston Texans, show a team that can score in bunches, as evidenced by their 164 points for against 141 allowed through five games.
The Las Vegas Raiders enter at 3-2 but have lost two straight, falling 17-45 to the Patriots on the road and 27-30 to the Kansas City Chiefs at home. Before the skid, Las Vegas had won three in a row over the New Orleans Saints, Chargers and Miami Dolphins, so there's evidence this group can still play. The Raiders have been nearly even on the season, 132 points for to 129 against.
Buffalo has the edge here. The Bills are scoring at a higher clip, they're playing with momentum off a win, and the Raiders are trying to snap a two-game slide at home. This game will be played indoors at Allegiant Stadium, so weather is not a factor.
Key players
Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills: Allen enters off a 331-total-yard, two-touchdown performance and became the fourth quarterback all-time with at least 100 career wins, including playoffs, in his first nine seasons.
Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders: Bowers can become the fifth tight end in NFL history with five receptions, including a touchdown catch, in five straight games this week.
James Cook III, RB, Buffalo Bills: Cook is projected for 20.0 DraftKings points and leads a Bills backfield that also includes Ty Johnson.
Kirk Cousins, QB, Las Vegas Raiders: Cousins is projected for 18.0 DraftKings points as he tries to get the Raiders' offense back on track after consecutive losses.
Khalil Shakir, WR, Buffalo Bills: Shakir is projected for 8.5 DraftKings points and is one of three starting wideouts for Buffalo alongside DJ Moore and Keon Coleman.
Keys to the game
Buffalo needs Allen to keep producing the way he has, both through the air and on the ground, given he's found a rushing touchdown in every game this season.
The Bills defense has to account for Bowers, who has been a problem for opposing defenses in the red zone and on scoring drives all year.
Buffalo must take advantage of a Raiders team that just allowed 45 points to New England, meaning the Bills' passing attack should look to push the issue early.
Fantasy angles
Start Josh Allen with confidence. He's projected for 27.0 DraftKings points and just put up 331 total yards and two scores, including a rushing touchdown for the fifth straight game to open the season.
Start James Cook III. His 20.0-point projection reflects a featured role in a Bills offense that's averaging a high point total through five games.
Keon Coleman is a solid flex play at a 9.0 projection, slotting in as one of Buffalo's three starting wideouts.
Khalil Shakir, projected for 8.5 points, is in play as a complementary piece behind Coleman in the same receiving corps.
Tyler Bass carries a 9.3 projection and should see plenty of opportunities if the Bills offense moves the ball the way it has all season.
Prediction
The market lists Buffalo as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 53.0, and the market score points to a 29-24 Bills win. That lines up with what the numbers show: a Buffalo offense humming behind Allen's dual-threat production against a Raiders team that has leaked points in back-to-back losses. Expect a track meet that goes Buffalo's way late.
Injury report
| Player | Team | Pos | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dee Alford | Buffalo Bills | CB | Questionable |
| DJ Moore | Buffalo Bills | WR | Questionable |
| Joshua Palmer | Buffalo Bills | WR | Out |
| Landon Jackson | Buffalo Bills | DE | Questionable |
| Ed Oliver | Buffalo Bills | DT | Out |
| Ashton Jeanty | Las Vegas Raiders | RB | Questionable |
| Jalen Nailor | Las Vegas Raiders | WR | Out |
| Dont'e Thornton Jr. | Las Vegas Raiders | WR | Out |
| Trey Zuhn III | Las Vegas Raiders | C | Out |
Depth chart
| Pos | Buffalo Bills |
|---|---|
| QB | Josh Allen |
| RB | James Cook III, Ty Johnson |
| WR | DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman |
| TE | Dalton Kincaid |
Recent results
| Team | Last games |
|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | Wk5 W 37-34 vs Los Angeles Rams, Wk4 L 26-29 vs New England Patriots, Wk3 W 24-16 vs Los Angeles Chargers |
In this story
- Buffalo Bills at Las Vegas Raiders
- Buffalo Bills
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Ashton Jeanty
- Brock Bowers
- DJ Moore
- Dalton Kincaid
- Dee Alford
- Dont'e Thornton Jr.
- Ed Oliver
- Jalen Nailor
- James Cook III
- Josh Allen
- Joshua Palmer
- Keon Coleman
- Khalil Shakir
- Kirk Cousins
- Landon Jackson
- Trey Zuhn III
- Ty Johnson
- Tyler Bass
Written by Rhett Zone, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores, box scores, injuries and depth charts), and checked against that data before it published automatically. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.