There are so many story lines to examine on the first Sunday of this NFL season, but for some reason I've opted to take a look at maybe the worst matchup on the slate: Miami at Las Vegas, with a 4:25 p.m. It's a matchup of the two teams in the league with the longest playoff win droughts. They are also the only two clubs in 2026 opening with a new starting quarterback, head coach and offensive and defensive coordinators.
This definitely isn't the 1970s or '80s, when these were two of the NFL's marquee franchises. The Dolphins and Raiders combined for 10 total victories in 2025, and that might be hard to even equal this year, simply as the Fins might have one of the worst overall rosters in recent league history. There is split ATS action on Las Vegas -3 and a decent lean on the Under 40.5. 0 in bonus bets: Fans can stay up to date with information from our NFL news page, and bettors should also look for picks from the SportsLine Projection Model and our experts during the 2026 NFL season.
I will spend most of my time here on Miami, but let's quickly address the quarterback decision by first-year Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak, who was the offensive coordinator of last season's Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Such an interesting call that the Silver and Black opted not to open the season with No. 1 overall draft pick and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza under center and instead are going with veteran Kirk Cousins. Mendoza will be the first top quarterback draft pick since Baker Mayfield in 2018 to sit Week 1 of his rookie campaign.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal addressed this topic in full this week and essentially said the decision came down to the "ruthlessly efficient" manner in which Cousins ran Kubiak's offense in camp and the preseason. FanDuel SGP price: +171 (subject to change) Mendoza definitely looked shaky at times in the preseason. And Raiders GM John Spytek made it a point to note that legends like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes sat as rookies, too.
Of course, none of them were as touted out of college. Mendoza's odds for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year generally rose from +500 to now +750 following the decision. No one seems to think he will sit long, unless Cousins and the team are shockingly good.
That's doubtful, with Vegas pegged for a season win total of 5.5. Note that Las Vegas has gone an amazing 37 straight games scoring fewer than 30 points, the longest streak in team history. Over 29.5 points is +350 for Sunday.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
