Chiefs look to continue recent domination over the Raiders

Kansas City (6-10) at Las Vegas (2-14)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, CBS.

BetMGM NFL Odds: Chiefs by 5½.

Against the spread: Chiefs 6-10, Raiders 6-10.

Series record: Chiefs lead 76-55-2.

Last meeting: Chiefs beat Raiders 31-0 on Oct. 19 at Kansas City.

Last week: Chiefs lost to the Broncos 20-13; Raiders lost to the Giants 34-10.

Chiefs offense: overall (17), rush (23), pass (13), scoring (20).

Chiefs defense: overall (10), rush (10), pass (13), scoring (6).

Raiders offense: overall (32), rush (32), pass (27), scoring (32).

Raiders defense: overall (16), rush (18), pass (15), scoring (25).

Turnover differential: Chiefs minus-1; Raiders minus-7.

QB Chris Oladokun was forced into the starting role two weeks ago in Tennessee, when Gardner Minshew followed Patrick Mahomes by tearing ligaments in his knee. He then had to prepare for his first NFL start on Christmas night on just three days' notice, and wound up throwing for just 66 yards. Expect a better performance with 10 days to prepare for this one.

QBs Kenny Pickett and Aidan O'Connell. With Geno Smith dealing with a significant ankle injury, coach Pete Carroll said he expected both to play. Each will have a chance to show that the Raiders should bring him back next season or for one of the other 31 clubs to take notice.

Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty vs. Chiefs defensive front. This hasn't been the kind of season Jeanty envisioned, but he is 112 yards from 1,000. He might have trouble reaching that milestone against a Chiefs defense that ranks 10th in allowing 104.9 yards per game. But Kansas City has given up 409 yards rushing in missed tackles, according to Next Gen Stats. Jeanty has gained 350 yards after breaking tackles, so he might have a chance.

Chiefs: RG Trey Smith (ankle) is unlikely to play. The Chiefs already have OTs Jawaan Taylor, Wanya Morris and Josh Simmons on injured reserve, along with Mahomes, Minshew, CBs Trent McDuffie Chris Roland-Wallace and Jaylen Watson, LB Leo Chenal and WRs Rashee Rice, Nikko Remigio and Tyquan Thornton.

Raiders: QB Geno Smith (ankle) likely won't play. ... DT Adam Butler (bicep) wasn’t as seriously hurt as feared and could play. ... LT Kolton Miller (ankle) likely won’t play.

The Chiefs have won the past three meetings, six of seven and 11 of 13. ... Kansas City has never lost in Las Vegas. The Chiefs are 5-0 against the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium, and KC defeated San Francisco in the Super Bowl two seasons ago. ... The Chiefs and Raiders have met in three playoff games with Kansas City winning two of them.

Kansas City has lost five straight and seven of its past nine. ... The Chiefs are assured of their first losing season since 2012, the year before Andy Reid took over as coach. They went 2-14 that season under Romeo Crennel. ... Kansas City has had 272 yards of offense combined over the past two weeks. It has not eclipsed 275 yards in any of its past four games. ... Chiefs TE Travis Kelce needs 46 yards receiving to reach 13,000 for his career. He has caught a pass in 189 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL and longest streak in franchise history. ... DT Chris Jones needs one sack to tie Neil Smith (85 1/2) for third most in Chiefs history. ... The Raiders have lost 10 consecutive games, tied with a skid last season for the fifth-longest skid in franchise history. Another defeat would tie for the third longest which was set in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. The Raiders' longest losing streaks were 19 games in the 1961-62 seasons and 16 in 2013-14. ... Las Vegas' losing streak is the longest active one in the NFL. ... The Raiders have a point differential of minus-193, worst in the NFL. ... Their average point different is minus-12.1 per game. If it doesn't improve, that will be the highest since the 2020 New York Jets finished with a minus-13.4 average. ... RB Ashton Jeanty is one of two rookies ever with at least 800 yards rushing, five rushing touchdowns and five receiving TDs. The other is Hall of Famer Gale Sayers in 1965. ... LB Devin White's 168 tackles are second to Miami's Jordyn Brooks, who has 174. ... ... The Raiders have held opponents to zero or negative yards on 95 rushing plays, tied with Minnesota for best in the league. ... A victory would give Las Vegas coach Pete Carroll 173 for his career, which would move him into a tie for 16th with Jeff Fisher. Carroll is currently tied with Bill Parcells.

The Chiefs defense might be worth a look given the Raiders offensive struggles. They have failed to reach 30 points a franchise-worst 36 straight regular-season games.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

New York Giants running back Devin Singletary (26) scores touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith (24) celebrates with wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster, center, and quarterback Chris Oladokun (19) after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

MIAMI (AP) — The Florida Panthers arrived in Ferraris, cigars lit, dressed in all-white “Miami Vice” attire — and, in true South Florida fashion, fashionably late.

The New York Rangers followed suit, stepping into loanDepot Park in their own whites and sunglasses.

With that, the 2026 Winter Classic was underway in warm, humid Miami.

At loanDepot Park, home of Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins, an expected sold-out crowd — with celebrity attendees that included former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady — had already begun filling the streets hours before the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers were set to host the Rangers in the first outdoor game to take place in Florida.

The retractable roof on the ballpark — which has been shut while air conditioning has been piped in to help ice builders create a playing surface suitable for hockey — will be opened not long before the puck drops.

“I would have never thought that I would play in a Winter Classic in Miami and be a part of this cool experience," said Florida center Anton Lundell, wearing a baby pink shirt and blue handkerchief to accent his all-white suit. “Obviously we still have the game left, but everything building up to this game has been awesome. It's been very unique and an experience we're all going to remember for the rest of our lives.”

Though nowhere near as chilly as Winter Classics of years past, temperatures in Miami hovered around 60 degrees Fahrenheit just an hour before puck drop, and lows were expected to be in the low 40s overnight.

For the Rangers, forward Will Cuylie said the plan was for a day-at-the-beach look, but bathing suits were a non-starter. Not professional enough, he added.

“We thought the all-white was a good solution for that,” he said.

Florida coach Paul Maurice arrived in what he jokingly deemed an “appropriate” mode of transportation.

“I was happily on the bus,” Maurice said ahead of Friday's game.

But on his ride into the arena, Maurice took in his surroundings: the palm tree monikers lining the outside of the ballpark and the thousands of fans clad in Rangers and Panthers gear. In past decades, it would have been hard to imagine such a scene in South Florida, where the success of the back-to-back defending champion Panthers has helped exponentially grow the popularity of hockey.

“I took about 10 minutes just to think about that idea,” Maurice said. "How much different the game was 30 years ago, 20 years ago that you’re in Miami, you've got your whole team getting in the Ferraris. I didn't really think there would be that many fans outside. It was like a version of our parade.

“It is an awesome spectacle. The game itself — not just in Florida — but the pure hockey game, for me, is better than it’s ever been.”

For Panthers general manager and hockey operations president Bill Zito, the game — one that’s filled with “wonderment,” he said — represented a full-circle moment. His career path started in baseball, and on Friday, his team was playing on a baseball field.

Zito was a batboy for the Milwaukee Brewers in the early 1980s and still credits general manager Harry Dalton for what became the start of a career that saw him become an agent and then one of the top executives in the game.

“The lessons I learned from that experience impact me, and really then via me, our organization on a daily basis,” Zito said. “I’m not here today if I hadn’t had that good fortune.”

That said, his baseball ways were long ago. When he first arrived at loanDepot Park to see the setup, he asked where the locker rooms were. Baseball doesn’t use that term.

“I forgot,” Zito said. “It’s a clubhouse.”

AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds contributed.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

New York Rangers, including left wing Brett Berard, center, warm up with a soccer ball ahead of the start of the NHL Winter Classic outdoor hockey game at loanDepot Park, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Fans watch as Florida Panthers players arrive before the NHL Winter Classic outdoor hockey game between the Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk arrives for the NHL Winter Classic outdoor hockey game between the Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers at loanDepot Park, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Fans watch as Florida Panthers players arrive before the NHL Winter Classic outdoor hockey game between the Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling arrives for the NHL Winter Classic outdoor hockey game between the Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

New York Rangers Taylor Raddysh enjoys family skate time after practice for the NHL Winter Classic outdoor hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)

New York Rangers players gather for a team picture during practice for the NHL Winter Classic outdoor hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)