A rainy morning on the East Coast is giving way to a Week 1 matchup between the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium with modest winds and cool temperatures for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on CBS.
The National Weather Service and a local forecast for Foxborough call for showers and a high in the low-to-mid 60s at kickoff, with an 80% chance of precipitation in the late morning/early afternoon and possible accumulations of roughly 0.5–0.75 inches before the showers taper later in the day.
Winds are modest (around 5-6 mph), so wind should not be a major factor; the primary effects will be on the ball, footing and play selection.
The latest weather forecast was reported by ESPN's Mike Reiss.
Weather forecast for kickoff of Patriots-Raiders (CBS, 1 p.m. ET): Showers, 61 degrees, winds around 5 mph. pic.twitter.com/XsKqaDgCAR
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 7, 2025
ESPN BET has held New England as a slight favorite at -2.5 with an over/under of 44.5 entering Sunday and multiple models project a tight, low-scoring outcome.
ESPN’s matchup page lists the Patriots with a narrow analytics edge (51.3% to Las Vegas' 48.3%), while Sportsbook Wire's computer scores land 22–21 in favor of New England, even as many betting picks lean Raiders against the spread.
Over the last three meetings, Las Vegas has taken two, while New England has actually outscored the Raiders 74–59 across those contests.
New England’s 2024 offense was run-heavy out of necessity: last in passing yards per game (176.2), 13th in rushing (115.8) and 30th in points (17), according to Pro Football Reference. The defense held up better against the pass (10th) than the run (23rd), allowing 24.5 points per game.
Quarterback Drake Maye’s rookie year closed at 2,276 passing yards with a 15–10 TD-INT line and 421 rushing yards in 13 games, while RB Rhamondre Stevenson logged 801 rush yards and eight total TDs. TE Hunter Henry led the team in receiving (66 catches for 674 yards).
Las Vegas, meanwhile arrives with notable changes, including the addition of Geno Smith under center, first-round rookie RB Ashton Jeanty’s three‑down profile and TE Brock Bowers as a focal point, anchored by All‑Pro EDGE Maxx Crosby.
The offseason shift under Super Bowl–winning head coach Pete Carroll has fueled projections of a steadier, more balanced attack built around play-action and a strong ground game, something we could see more of straight away, given the weather conditions.
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