The Las Vegas Raiders (4-4) are headed back to the Bay Area for a regular-season game for the first time since relocating from Oakland.

They aren’t likely to get a welcome reception from a 49ers team (6-1) still reeling from its first loss two weeks ago and a fanbase that still remembers the bitter local rivalry.

Game information

■ Who: Raiders at 49ers

■ When: 1:25 p.m. Sunday

■ Where: Levi’s Stadium; Santa Clara, Calif.

■ TV: Fox (Kevin Kugler, play-by-play; Daryl Johnston, analyst; Allison Williams, sideline)

■ Radio: KRLV-AM (920), KOMP-FM (92.3) (Jason Horowitz, play-by-play; Kirk Morrison, analyst)

■ Line: 49ers -9½, total 52

Series history

The 49ers have won the past two meetings to take an 8-7 lead in the all-time series.

It’s a rivalry that dates to 1970 when the 49ers rolled to a 38-7 victory only to see the Raiders bounce back and take control with five wins in the next six meetings.

Three of the 15 meetings have gone to overtime, though the 49ers have outscored the Raiders 362-277 overall.

The 49ers have won five of six dating to 2002.

Last meeting

Jan. 1, 2023 — The only meeting since the Raiders moved the Bay Area was a 37-34 overtime thriller at Allegiant Stadium, won by the 49ers on Robbie Gould’s 23-yard field goal in the extra session.

It was a wild ride to get to that point.

Jordan Mason broke a 27-27 tie with a 14-yard touchdown run with 2:17 remaining in regulation, but Josh Jacobs answered with a 1-yard scoring plunge with 1:11 on the clock.

It was the first game after Derek Carr was benched in order to protect against an injury that would trigger contract guarantees that would make it more difficult for the team to release him and end his run as the franchise’s starting quarterback.

Jarrett Stidham threw for 365 yards and three scores but was intercepted twice.

Christian McCaffrey ran for 121 yards and a score, adding six catches for 72 yards. San Francisco receiver Brandon Aiyuk had nine catches for 101 yards and a touchdown.

Bold predictions

1. Kirk Cousins will score on a quarterback sneak near the goal line, marking the first time since 2015 that he will record a rushing touchdown in back-to-back games.

2. McCaffrey and Kaelon Black, a teammate of Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza at Indiana, each will run for at least 75 yards and a touchdown.

3. In a matchup of two of the league’s best tight ends, Brock Bowers and George Kittle each will record at least eight catches.

Storyline

The Battle of the Bay is back.

This will mark the first time the Raiders have played a regular-season game in the region since relocating from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020.

Expect a lively atmosphere in Santa Clara with Raiders and 49ers fans renewing acquaintances. It’s not likely the Raiders’ absence has made the hearts of the rabid fanbases grow any fonder of one another.

But while there may be no love lost between the fans, there is plenty of familiarity and fondness between the organizations.

Raiders coach Klint Kubiak will be facing off against his brother Klay, the offensive coordinator of the 49ers. The brothers are longtime friends of San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan, and their families go way back.

Klint Kubiak also spent a year coaching many of these same 49ers players in 2023.

So there are plenty of narratives to go around.

But the game is already a big one without all the added context, especially for the Raiders. They snapped a four-game losing streak last week to stay relevant in the playoff race.

Had they lost, they might have thought about starting to turn the page to the future ahead of next week’s trade deadline. Instead, they are rejuvenated and still dreaming of the possibilities ahead.

Those lofty aspirations probably would require earning at least a split of the next two games against NFC West powers with the defending champion Seahawks on deck in Las Vegas next week.

When the 49ers have the ball

Even after a bye week to get healthy, San Francisco is dealing with a ton of injuries in the receiving corps.

Deebo Samuel and Mike Evans — the 49ers’ top two options — are out, as is Christian Kirk. Demarcus Robinson was activated from injured reserve, but Ricky Pearsall and De’Zhaun Stribling remain on the list. Then there is the mystery of Brandon Aiyuk, who has been absent from the team all season.

Still, quarterback Brock Purdy has continued his mastery of Shanahan’s scheme and has found a way to lead a potent attack.

Shanahan also loves running the ball and almost certainly will look to attack the vulnerable Raiders run defense early and often. Don’t expect him to abandon what is working like the New York Jets did last week.

McCaffrey remains one of the best dual-threat backs in the league, and Black has brought explosion to the offense.

“They’re fundamentally sound, man,” Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Leonard said of the 49ers’ continued success despite the injuries. “They’re a clean operation, and they’ve got some good players. Quarterback’s playing at a high level, good tight end, running backs, and the offensive line is really good. So that’s what jumps out to me, how fundamentally sound they are, and they’re able to put a lot of pressure on you.”

When the Raiders have the ball

While the numbers weren’t overwhelming and they still struggled in short-field situations, the Raiders got a bit of a run game going last week.

They still need more out of it, regardless of who is carrying the ball.

Last week, it was rookie Mike Washington Jr. surpassing Ashton Jeanty as the early-down back and out-carrying him 25-2. It was a message to Jeanty, either about ineffectiveness or his controversial comments about the Jets’ defense, but time will tell how it was received and how the workload is distributed.

No matter who is carrying the ball, the Raiders have a new challenge to deal with in the middle of the 49ers’ defensive line after San Francisco traded for star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner this week. He will make his return to the 49ers.

“That’s a guy that’s been one of the top in the league at what he’s done for a long time,” Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko said. “So it’ll be a great challenge for us. He’s a heck of a player, been doing it for a long time.

“Those guys know each other, so it won’t be just like plugging a new player in. But obviously that’s a lot of talent added to a very talented group.”

The 49ers, who started 6-0 before falling in Atlanta before their bye, are also getting edge rusher Nick Bosa back. They’ve been good even without the reinforcements.

Janocko and Kubiak, who were in the same division as San Francisco last year with the Seattle Seahawks, know that all too well.

“Been together for a long time,” Janocko said of the 49ers. “Experienced bunch. It’s a team that we have a lot of familiarity with playing against them last year. They’re well coached, well prepared. They attack the football. They’re very opportunistic. So it’ll be a heck of a challenge for us against one of the best teams in the league.”

Injury report

■ Raiders: Out: DT Thomas Booker (ankle). Questionable: CB Darien Porter (groin).

■ 49ers: Out: WR Mike Evans (ribs, Achilles), WR Deebo Samuel (hamstring), WR Christian Kirk (knee). Questionable: CB Nate Hobbs (adductor), DB Siran Neal (knee, foot), CB Upton Stout (shoulder).

The pick

49ers 34, Raiders 27

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.