How to Watch: TV, Radio, Streaming
Prime time returns to the desert as the Los Angeles Chargers face the Las Vegas Raiders in the Raiders’ home opener at Allegiant Stadium on Monday, September 15, 2025. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM PDT. It’s a classic AFC West grudge match on a national stage — the kind of night that often swings a divisional race before autumn even arrives.
The broadcast is a full national simulcast on ABC and ESPN, giving fans two ways to tune in. If you prefer audio, Raiders coverage is on KRLV-AM (920) and KOMP-FM (92.3) locally, with a national option on SiriusXM for subscribers. For digital viewers, ESPN’s authenticated platforms carry the stream; in-market fans can also find team-focused content through the Raiders + Allegiant Stadium App.
Expect a loud building. Allegiant Stadium is climate-controlled, so weather won’t be a factor — the atmosphere will be. It’s the home opener in Las Vegas, under the lights, with a divisional rival in town. That usually means a faster tempo, aggressive play-calling early, and a crowd that stays in it for four quarters.
Quick guide for game night:
- Start time: 7:00 PM PDT (Las Vegas)
- Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
- TV: ABC and ESPN (national)
- Radio (Raiders): KRLV-AM 920, KOMP-FM 92.3
- Satellite Radio: SiriusXM (national)
- Streaming: ESPN digital platforms with TV provider login; in-market coverage via Raiders + Allegiant Stadium App
- Records: Chargers 1-0, Raiders 1-0
- Odds: Chargers -3.5; Total: 46 (subject to change)
- Injury watch: Raiders TE Brock Bowers (knee), questionable
It’s Monday Night Football, so expect broader coverage, tighter production, and plenty of national attention on both sidelines. The spotlight is bright — which makes execution under pressure even more important than usual.
What to Expect on the Field
Both teams opened with wins, and both got there through the air. The Chargers handled the Chiefs 27–21 in São Paulo, leaning on Justin Herbert’s 318 yards and three touchdowns. The Raiders beat the Patriots in Week 1 with Geno Smith throwing for 362 yards, showing off a willingness to push the ball and stress safeties early in drives.
The betting market has the Chargers favored by 3.5 with a total of 46, a nod to two offenses that can score but also two defenses capable of bending without breaking. Indoors, with clean footing and no wind, timing routes usually look sharp. That said, divisional games tend to tighten in the red zone, which is where this one can pivot.
The sideline subplot is real: the coaching rivalry between Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh stretches back years, from heated college duels to NFL clashes that were often decided by a single series. Their philosophies are clear — establish identity early, win the middle eight minutes around halftime, and force the opponent into one-dimensional football. Whichever staff dictates pace and personnel groupings is going to feel in control.
Key matchups to watch:
- Edge pressure vs. Herbert: If the Raiders get heat with four, the Chargers will have to shorten routes and live off rhythm throws. If not, Herbert’s arm talent can open up the intermediate seams all night.
- Explosives vs. ball control: The Raiders showed they can stretch the field in Week 1. If they hit early explosives, they can back off the Chargers’ safeties and create room for underneath work on third-and-manageable.
- Third downs and red zone: Expect both defenses to lean on disguise — late safety rotation, simulated pressure, and creepers — to force throws into tight windows. Converting 3rd-and-6 and finishing drives from inside the 20 will separate these teams.
- Turnover battle: Indoors usually means fewer miscues, so any tipped-ball interception or strip-sack could swing win probability fast.
One variable sits in the middle of the Raiders’ plan: tight end Brock Bowers is listed as questionable with a knee issue. If he’s limited or unavailable, Las Vegas loses a clean separator on seams and crossers, plus a red-zone mismatch. That would shift more stress onto perimeter receivers and the backs in pass protection. If he plays, even in a pitch-count role, he changes how the Chargers allocate safeties.
For the Chargers, the formula hasn’t changed much: protect Herbert, keep the pockets clean on long downs, and be selective with deep shots. Expect quick-game early to calm the rush, then layered concepts off play-action once protections settle. Watch for tempo changes after big plays — Harbaugh has often used hurry-up in spots to keep defenses in base personnel.
For the Raiders, balance matters. A credible run threat on early downs keeps Geno Smith in favorable situations and slows the pass rush. The interior offensive line will be under the microscope; if they hold up, the shot plays open and the screen game becomes a weapon against pressure looks.
Special teams can matter more than usual indoors because kickers get their full range. A made 52-yarder late, or a return that flips the field, could be the hidden swing. Penalties will loom too — pre-snap flags inside a rocking stadium often turn 3rd-and-4 into 3rd-and-9, and that’s how drives die.
Recent meetings between these franchises have delivered drama, and this one sets up the same way: late-possession football, where clock management and timeouts decide whether the final drive needs a field goal or a touchdown. With both teams at 1-0 and a divisional tiebreaker on the line, it’s a bigger September game than it looks on paper.
Bottom line on the viewing front: if you’re at home, ABC or ESPN will have you covered; on the go, use ESPN’s authenticated stream. If you’re in the car, Raiders radio on KRLV 920 AM or KOMP 92.3 FM — and SiriusXM nationally — will carry every snap. In Las Vegas, the building will bring the noise. The rest is up to the quarterbacks — and the coaches who know each other too well.