Pro Picks: Week 8 features 3 games with double-digit favorites and five division matchups

Pro Picks is a weekly column where AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi shares his picks for upcoming games. For all previous Pro Picks, head here.

A full slate of games returns for Week 8 with several mismatches.

Six teams are favorites by at least seven points on BetMGM Sportsbook. Three of those are double-digit favorites.

Pro Picks took three of the underdogs to cover the spread.

Five games feature division rivals, including showdowns for first place in both the AFC and NFC South.

The Vikings and Rams kick off the week on Thursday night while the Giants and Steelers finish up on Monday night. The Cowboys and 49ers renew their rivalry on “Sunday Night Football” with both banged-up teams underachieving.

Line: Falcons minus 2 1/2

This matchup for the NFC South lost its luster when the Buccaneers lost their top two receivers. Chris Godwin is out for the season and Mike Evans could miss at least three games. Without them, Tampa Bay has to rely more on an improved rushing attack to avoid putting too much pressure on Baker Mayfield, who leads the NFL with 18 TD passes but has thrown five picks in the past two games. Kirk Cousins has plenty of playmakers, including Bijan Robinson, who has run for 198 yards the past two weeks and is averaging 4.7 yards per carry. The Falcons rallied for an overtime win over the Buccaneers in Week 5. They’ll take control of the division with another victory.

BEST BET: FALCONS: 27-20

Line: Bengals minus 2

Saquon Barkley’s addition has paid off for the Eagles. Jalen Hurts is making fewer mistakes and Philadelphia’s defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown in the past two games. The Bengals have a chance to even their record after a 1-4 start but they’ll need Joe Burrow and the playmakers on offense to produce more. Cincinnati has scored 38 points combined over the past two wins after averaging 35 over a three-game stretch.

UPSET SPECIAL: EAGLES: 24-23

Line: Vikings minus 3

After losing their first game of the season at home against Detroit, the Vikings hit the road to face the Rams on Thursday night amid speculation that Minnesota is pursuing Matthew Stafford. The Vikings hurt themselves with penalties and mistakes in a 31-29 loss. If they don’t get Stafford, they should still stay in the playoff race with Sam Darnold, who has cooled after a hot start. The Rams have to decide whether to trade assets and build for the future or pursue a playoff bid in an NFC West that’s up for grabs. The return of receiver Cooper Kupp should boost their offense.

VIKINGS: 26-20

Line: Ravens minus 9

Two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson is playing elite ball, Derrick Henry has been sensational and the Ravens are back after an 0-2 start. The Browns are turning to Jameis Winston after losing Deshaun Watson for the season. That’s an upgrade. Cleveland is playing for pride against a division rival, still has a tough defense and Baltimore is coming off a short week after a Monday night win. That’ll keep it closer than it should be.

RAVENS: 24-16

Line: Lions minus 11 1/2

Jared Goff has been exceptional, especially over the past three games. The Lions beat the Vikings on the road to reclaim the NFC North. With Super Bowl aspirations, Detroit isn’t looking back. The Titans are giving up the fewest yards per game (259.2), but the offense is next-to-last in yards and is averaging just 17.7 points. Mason Rudolph or Will Levis? Doesn’t matter.

LIONS: 27-14

Line: Dolphins minus 3 1/2

Tua Tagovailoa is expected to return after missing four games because of a concussion. The Dolphins desperately need him to boost an anemic offense that averaged 10 points per game during his absence. The Cardinals are coming off a Monday night win over the Chargers but Kyler Murray and the offense aren’t putting up enough points. Arizona’s banged-up defense has a tough task against Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and the rest of Miami’s offense that should be rejuvenated by Tagovailoa’s return.

DOLPHINS: 26-20

Line: Jets minus 7

Davante Adams’ arrival didn’t help Aaron Rodgers get on track. He’s looking more like a 40-year-old quarterback than a four-time MVP. The “soft” Patriots — that’s what coach Jerod Mayo called his team — should provide a cure for New York’s woes. The Jets already beat New England 24-3 in Week 3. But Drake Maye is starting for the Patriots now so they’ll be more competitive on offense. The teams are a combined 1-9 against the spread in their past five games.

JETS: 23-17

Line: Packers minus 4

The Jaguars are starting a stretch of games that will determine their season, facing four NFC teams that currently have a combined record of 19-4. Meanwhile, Jacksonville is just 5-23 in its past 28 games against non-conference opponents. Trevor Lawrence is coming off a mistake-free game and needs another to have a shot against the Packers. Tank Bigsby has run for 90-plus yards in three of Jacksonville’s past four games. Green Bay found a way to beat Houston last week despite three turnovers. If Jordan Love protects the ball — he is tied for an NFL-most eight picks — the Packers will have success.

PACKERS: 29-24

Line: Texans minus 5

The Texans are trying for just their second sweep of the Colts in this AFC South rivalry. C.J. Stroud is coming off his worst game of the season in Houston’s loss at Green Bay but the Texans can strengthen their hold on the division with another victory over Indianapolis. Anthony Richardson was shaky again in his return last week as the Colts won for the fourth time in five games since an 0-2 start. They’ll need more from Richardson in the passing game to have a chance in Houston.

TEXANS: 27-20

Line: Chargers minus 7 1/2

So much for the unstoppable Saints the league saw the first two weeks. The offense has struggled, Derek Carr and other key players have been sidelined and New Orleans has been blown out at home the past two games. Maybe a road trip to California will help. The Chargers won’t be in a good mood after a last-second loss in Arizona. Justin Herbert is coming off his best game but the offense isn’t finishing drives.

CHARGERS: 23-17

Line: Bills minus 3

Josh Allen hasn’t thrown an interception, the Bills have a comfortable lead in the AFC East and new addition Amari Cooper already made a big impact. Now Buffalo tries for its first win against a team that has a winning record. The Seahawks are back on track after losing three in a row. They’ve got the NFL’s top-ranked passing offense behind Geno Smith but likely won’t have DK Metcalf.

BILLS: 26-20

Line: Bears minus 2 1/2

Doesn’t look promising for the No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. Caleb Williams and the Bears probably won’t face Jayden Daniels when they visit the Commanders. Daniels has a rib injury and veteran Marcus Mariota would start for Washington in place of the injured rookie QB. The Bears are rolling. Williams, a balanced offense and a strong defense have helped Chicago win three in a row. The Commanders have been a surprise team under first-year coach Dan Quinn thanks to Daniels, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s productive offense and a revamped defense. With Daniels, it’ll be a different game. Without him, the Bears have a big edge.

BEARS, 22-19

Line: Broncos minus 10

If Sean Payton gets Bo Nix and the offense on par with Denver’s defense, the Broncos will be a dangerous team in the AFC West. They’ve already come a long way. The Panthers are headed nowhere and could end up with the No. 1 overall pick again. Even worse, they haven’t found out if Bryce Young can be a franchise QB. Young made a cameo in last week’s lopsided loss and gets a chance to play this week because of Andy Dalton's thumb injury.

BRONCOS: 24-13

Line: Chiefs minus 10

The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (6-0) gave Patrick Mahomes a new playmaker, acquiring three-time All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins. He provides another edge for Mahomes and his teammates, who will seek to avenge the Raiders’ nonsensical offseason trolling of the three-time Super Bowl MVP. Keep the Kermit puppets at home.

CHIEFS: 33-13

Line: 49ers minus 4

Micah Parsons could return to give Dallas a significant boost. The Cowboys are coming off a bye that gave them an extra week to think about a 38-point loss to Detroit. The banged-up 49ers keep losing players with Brandon Aiyuk out for the season. Brock Purdy has to avoid trying to do too much and rely on other playmakers around him. San Francisco has won the past three meetings, including two playoff games. Neither team is playing at a January level right now.

49ERS: 23-21

Line: Steelers minus 6 1/2

It should be a long night for Daniel Jones and the rest of New York’s offense against T.J. Watt and a defense that’s allowed just 14.4 points per game. On the other side, Russell Wilson follows up his impressive prime-time debut for the Steelers with a Monday night appearance. He’ll need to avoid Dexter Lawrence and continue distributing the ball efficiently.

STEELERS: 26-16

Last week: Straight up: 10-5. Against spread: 5-10.

Overall: Straight up: 72-35. Against spread: 57-48-2.

Prime-time: Straight up: 16-9. Against spread: 12-12-1.

Best Bet: Straight up: 5-2. Against spread: 5-2.

Upset Special: Straight up: 5-2. Against spread: 5-2.

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

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) drops back to pass in the second half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) passes against the New York Giants during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/ Mike Stewart )

Graphic shows NFL team matchups and predicts the winners in this week’s action.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) looks to throw during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s air force struck Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria on Wednesday in apparent retaliation for an attack at a key state-run defense company that killed five people and wounded more than a dozen others.

The defense ministry said more than 30 targets were “destroyed” in the aerial offensive, without providing details on the locations that were hit.

The strike came hours after suspected Kurdish militants set off explosives and opened fire at the aerospace and defense company TUSAS. The two attackers — a man and a woman — also were killed, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.

Yerlikaya said the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, was believed to be behind the attack at the defense company. Defense Minister Yasar Guler also pointed the finger at the PKK.

“We give these PKK scoundrels the punishment they deserve every time. But they never come to their senses,” Guler said. “We will pursue them until the last terrorist is eliminated.”

The Islamic State group and leftist extremists have also carried out past attacks in Turkey.

"I condemn this heinous terrorist attack,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a BRICS meeting in Russia.

Putin offered condolences. A U.S. Embassy statement said Washington “strongly condemns today’s terrorist attack."

TUSAS designs, manufactures and assembles civilian and military aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and other defense industry and space systems. Its UAVs have been instrumental in Turkey gaining an upper hand in its fight against Kurdish militants both on its own territory and across the border in Iraq.

The attack occurred a day after the leader of Turkey’s far-right nationalist party that's allied with Erdogan raised the possibility that the PKK's imprisoned leader could be granted parole if he renounces violence and disbands his organization.

Abdullah Ocalan's group has been fighting for autonomy in southeast Turkey in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people since the 1980s. It is considered a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies.

The country's pro-Kurdish political party, which also condemned the attack, noted that it had occurred at a time when the possibility of a dialogue to end the conflict had emerged.

Turkish media said the assailants arrived Wednesday at an entry to the TUSAS complex in a taxi. The assailants, carrying assault weapons, detonated an explosive device next to the taxi, causing panic and allowing them to enter.

One of the victims was identified as mechanical engineer Zahide Guclu, who had gone to the entrance to collect flowers sent by her husband, the state-run Anadolu Agency.

The taxi driver was also killed by the assailants and his body was found in the trunk of the vehicle, the agency reported.

Orhan Akdundar, a brother of one the TUSAS employees, was among relatives waiting outside the complex for news of their loved ones.

“I called my brother who was inside and said, ‘What happened?’ He said a bomb had exploded and said that gunshots continued for a very long time,” Akdundar said. “There was a huge commotion. The gendarmerie, special forces and other security forces were all here. There were lots of ambulances. Then the phones shut off and I wasn’t able to establish communication.”

An unidentified TUSAS employee shouted: “We will work harder and produce more in defiance of the traitors” as he and other colleagues were being evacuated from the premises, according to a video aired by HaberTurk.

Security camera images, aired on television, showed a man in plainclothes carrying a backpack and holding an assault rifle.

The interior minister said security teams were dispatched as soon as the attack started at around 3:30 p.m.

Multiple gunshots were heard after security forces entered the site, the DHA news agency and other media reported. Helicopters were seen flying above the premises.

Authorities issued a temporary blackout on the coverage of the attack and went on to throttle access to social media websites.

Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said the target of the attack was Turkey's “success in the defense industry.”

The Iraqi embassy in Ankara issued a statement condemning the attack. It said the embassy “affirms Iraq’s firm position in rejecting terrorism and extremism in all its forms and manifestations, and expresses the solidarity of Iraq’s government and people, with the government and people of the Republic of Turkey.” Earlier this year, Iraq announced a ban on the PKK.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations “stands in solidarity” with the people and government of Turkey, according to U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also denounced the attack. "Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to the families of the victims,” he said on X.

Associated Press writer Robert Badendieck in Hamburg, Germany, contributed.

Ambulances wait in line outside of Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. at the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (AP Photo)

Ambulances wait in line outside of Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. at the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (AP Photo)

Ambulances wait in line outside of Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. at the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (AP Photo)

Emergency and security teams are deployed outside of Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. at the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (AP Photo)

Emergency and security teams are deployed outside of Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. at the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (AP Photo)

In this image take from security camera video shows two people with guns and backpacks during an attack on the premises of the Turkish state-run aerospace and defence company (TUSAS ), on the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday Oct. 23, 2024. (Validated UGC via AP)

Emergency and security teams are deployed outside of Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. at the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (Yavuz Ozden/Dia Photo via AP)

People gather outside of the Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. on the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (Yavuz Ozden/Dia Photo via AP)

People gather outside of the Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. on the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (Yavuz Ozden/Dia Photo via AP)

People gather outside of Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. at the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mert Gokhan Koc)

Emergency and security teams are deployed outside the Turkish state-run aerospace and defense company Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. on the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (Yavuz Ozden/Dia Photo via AP)

Smoke raises as emergency rescue teams and police officers attend outside Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. on the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (IHA via AP)

Emergency rescue teams and police officers work outside of Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. on the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (IHA via AP)