Pro Picks: Rams will edge the Bills on Monday night in potential Super Bowl preview

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills vs. Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.

Sounds like a potential Super Bowl preview.

The Bills (3-1) visit the Rams (2-2) on Monday night fresh off a home loss to Drake Maye and the Patriots.

The Rams were a play or two away from a 1-3 start, but overcame a 10-point deficit at Philadelphia in the fourth quarter.

Buffalo must fix its turnover issues after seven giveaways in the past two games. It’ll be a challenge for the Bills facing a tough Rams defense that’s still missing Myles Garrett. Aaron Donald and cornerback Jaylen Watson could return for this one.

Puka Nacua was back last week and had a big day catching passes from Stafford.

The Rams are 2 ½-point favorites. They’re just 4-6 against the spread in their past 10 games, but Pro Picks likes the home team in a close one.

RAMS: 27-24

Line: Cowboys minus 8 ½

Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels played well enough to win his first career start despite two picks that led to 10 points in a 17-14 loss. He needs more help from teammates. The Buccaneers haven’t covered the spread in 13 straight games, the longest losing streak ATS in the Super Bowl era. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys scored 34 points against Houston’s defense. Dallas’ struggling defense has an opportunity to get on track against the league’s 28th-ranked offense.

COWBOYS: 26-19

Line: Jaguars minus 7 ½

Lane Johnson’s abrupt retirement is a crushing blow for an offense dealing with injuries to Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith and other key players. The Eagles are 18-30 without their long-time, All-Pro right tackle. The Jaguars are scoring 26 points a game and have allowed the second-fewest points in the league. Liam Coen’s offense vs. Vic Fangio’s defense is a matchup between two of the league’s top minds.

JAGUARS: 23-18

Line: Jets minus 1 ½

Deshaun Watson has led a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter in three straight games and the Browns are surprise division leaders under first-year coach Todd Monken. Jets coach Aaron Glenn is 4-17 and feeling the heat. The team is struggling yet is favored to win this one. Geno Smith leads the NFL in completion percentage and hasn’t thrown a pick after leading the league last season.

JETS: 20-17

Line: Patriots minus 3 ½

The Raiders beat the Patriots to kick off the 2025 season and then everything went in opposite directions for both teams. Las Vegas ended up 3-14 and fired Pete Carroll. New England went to the Super Bowl. Klint Kubiak and Kirk Cousins have turned things around for the Raiders. Drake Maye was struggling until leading the Patriots to a big win at Buffalo last week.

PATRIOTS: 24-20

Line: Bengals minus 6 1/2

The Bengals have lost two in a row while the Dolphins have yet to score 13 points in a game. Joe Burrow may not have both Ja’Marr Chase (concussion) and Tee Higgins (adductor) so they’ll need the run game to get going. Miami’s defense has allowed just one TD in the past 16 possessions.

BENGALS: 24-16

Line: Texans minus 7 ½

The Texans begin their quest to become the second team to make the playoffs after an 0-4 start. C.J. Stroud and the offense haven’t been the problem. One of the league’s best defenses has underachieved. The Titans are playing better. They need to learn how to win. Houston has won three straight in the series, including a sweep last season.

TEXANS: 23-17

Line: Steelers minus 2 ½

The Colts have won two in a row to even their record, but they’ve lost six in a row in Pittsburgh since their most recent win there in 2008. Daniel Jones has to protect the ball better. Jonathan Taylor has been consistent. The Steelers had a mini-bye following a Thursday night loss to the Browns. Aaron Rodgers and the offense still aren’t in sync. The secondary isn’t getting Joey Porter Jr. back since he was traded to Dallas.

STEELERS: 22-20

Line: Vikings minus 2 ½

The Vikings are winning behind a stifling defense and excellent special teams. Kyler Murray need to get the offense going and can build off a strong finish last week. The Saints were humiliated by the Falcons in primetime on the 20th anniversary of the Superdome’s reopening after Hurricane Katrina. They’re trying to avoid losing three straight at home. The Tyler Shough-Chris Olave connection has been a bright spot and the Saints are 8-2 ATS in their past 10 games.

UPSET SPECIAL: SAINTS: 17-16

Line: Commanders minus 3

Jameis Winston has led the Giants to a pair of wins that were secured by the defense making picks inside the 5 two weeks in a row. Winston makes it entertaining and keeps it interesting. The Commanders could have Jayden Daniels back and he’ll be wearing a brace to protect his left elbow. Oddsmakers are expecting the version of Washington that beat Seattle to show up.

BEST BET: COMMANDERS: 26-20

Line: Bears minus 2 1/2

Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent are 2-0 filling in for Caleb Williams and the Bears are rolling. The defense has improved since allowing 37 points in Week 1. The Packers were not satisfied with a narrow win over Tampa Bay. They lost LB Edgerrin Cooper and still don’t have Micah Parsons. Chicago won two of three meetings last season, including a playoff game.

BEARS: 24-23

Line: Broncos minus 3 ½

Denver needs to find a way to start games better. Bo Nix seems to have to try to lead a comeback every week. The Broncos have some key injuries to CBs Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss and WR Pat Bryant. The Chargers are in a crisis mode. Justin Herbert hasn’t figured out Mike McDaniel’s offense but maybe they can carry momentum from a strong fourth quarter. Denver is 6-4 ATS in the past 10 meetings.

CHARGERS: 23-20

Line: Lions minus 5 ½

The Lions have a potent offense. Problem is the defense is terrible, allowing the most yards and points in the league. Jared Goff and Co. should put up points against Arizona. Jacoby Brissett shouldn’t have any trouble doing the same for the Cardinals. That’s why the over/under 54 ½.

LIONS: 31-27

Line: Seahawks minus 3

The No. 1 seed in the NFC last season came down to these two teams meeting in Week 18. The Seahawks won and ended up Super Bowl champs. The 49ers are clicking despite numerous injuries. Brock Purdy hasn’t been sacked is playing at an MVP level through the first quarter of the season. The Seahawks have missed Kenneth Walker III but are finding ways to win. The defense has allowed 57 points over the past two games.

SEAHAWKS: 26-22

Line: Falcons minus 3 ½

Lamar Jackson is dealing with an ankle injury, making it difficult to expect the Ravens to win. The Falcons, especially Bijan Robinson, have shined in the national spotlight and aim for three straight primetime wins. It would be a lot easier for Atlanta if Jackson is on the sideline.

FALCONS: 23-20

Last week: Straight up: 11-5. Against spread: 11-4-1.

Overall: Straight up: 40-24. Against spread: 31-31-2.

Best Bet: Straight up: 3-1. Against spread: 2-2.

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

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the New England Patriots in the second half during an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) celebrates his touchdown with teammates during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) passes against the New England Patriots in the first half during an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) speaks with teammates in a huddle during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

CAIRO (AP) — Two attacks on airports in Saudi Arabia claimed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen killed three people Wednesday, Saudi officials said, as the kingdom was pulled deeper into the latest front in the Iran war.

The Saudi General Authority for Civil Aviation did not blame any party for the attacks at Abha and Riyadh’s King Khalid international airports, but Houthi rebels took credit earlier for the airport strikes.

The attack on Abha airport killed Moroccan and Algerian residents and wounded 28 other people, while the attack on King Khalid airport killed a Sudanese national and wounded eight other people, officials said.

As Riyadh has been targeted over the past week, new cage-like fences have been erected around fuel tanks and other equipment of the Saudi state-run Aramco oil company near the capital's airport. The kingdom, the world’s top oil exporter, has seen oil and military assets targeted in recent days, posing a threat to crucial shipping alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has been curtailed due to the Iran war.

The spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, said forces intercepted a ballistic missile north of Riyadh and destroyed a platform in Yemen’s capital of Sana that had been used to launch attacks on the Saudi capital. The AP could not independently verify these claims.

Saudi Arabia and allied Yemeni forces launched a major ground and air offensive aimed at retaking territory that the rebels seized a month ago along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast and on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Those positions gave the Houthis better surveillance as they pursue a blockade of Saudi-linked shipping. On Monday, officials said forces of the Saudi-led coalition recaptured several key areas around the strait, through which about 12% of global trade transits.

“The Houthis believe that they can maximize Saudi economic costs and compel Saudi Arabia to surrender to Houthi demands by striking civilian infrastructure, such as oil facilities and airports,” the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, wrote in an analysis.

Inside Yemen, fighting has centered in and around the crucial town of Dhubab, some 54 kilometers (33.5 miles) south of the port city of Mokha that the rebels seized last month, according to both the Houthis and Yemen's internationally recognized government.

Two Houthi officials said Wednesday that the rebels had regained control of key areas of Yemen’s southwestern coast, including Dhubab and the nearby village of Al-Jadid, as well as the Bab el-Mandeb strait, after intensified fighting with Saudi-backed coalition forces.

A government official denied the claims, which The Associated Press could not independently verify.

The Houthis also claimed that Saudi forces had targeted “civilian assets” over the past 24 hours in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, as well as Taiz, Jawf and other active fronts, including Saada and Marib.

Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said, without providing evidence, that fighter jets used in the attacks had taken off from Khamis Mushait and Taif in Saudi Arabia, while missiles had been launched from Najran and Jizan. The rebels have repeatedly claimed attacks on those Saudi cities in recent weeks.

Al-Malki has vowed “full operational support” to Yemeni government forces until the Houthis are “eliminated.” The coalition has said 100 fighter jets were providing support. Another aim is to liberate Sanaa, Yemen’s rebel-controlled capital.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi criticized Saudi Arabia over support for Yemen’s government forces in the latest escalation with the Houthis, which has shattered a truce reached four years ago.

Rebels are ready to support Palestinians in every way they can in case of “any new round of escalation” with Israel, al-Houthi said in a speech Wednesday expressing solidarity with Gaza on the third anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

The offensive began after the rebels seized Turbah town on a main road linking the provincial capital of Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, with Aden, the seat of the internationally recognized government. Officials have said U.S. support has included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning.

The escalation has revived Yemen’s civil war after a four-year ceasefire. Almost 1,000 people have been killed in the latest fighting, with over 200,000 displaced, according to the United Nations. Cholera and malnutrition cases are increasing, access to trauma care is more difficult and some hospitals have shortages of surgical and other supplies, the World Health Organization said this week.

The Houthis also said they launched a missile strike early Wednesday against Aden. Explosions were heard by an AP journalist around 2 a.m.

The rebels hit a military camp close to the city's airport with ballistic missiles, Saree said. Security authorities in Aden said the Houthis targeted the airport with two missiles, with no casualties. The airport is close to the seat of government.

One missile hit close to the runway just before the scheduled landing of a flight from Cairo, the Human Rights Ministry said. Flight 603, operated by Yemen’s flagship airline, landed safely in Aden at 3:30 a.m., according to the flight tracking platform FlightAware.

The ministry said the missile hit as other passengers were waiting to board their flight to the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah.

Houthi supporters chant slogans during an armed tribal rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)

Houthi supporters attend an armed tribal rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)

A Houthi supporter carries a rifle while attending an armed tribal rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)

Displaced Yemeni women wait to receive aid supplies at the Al-Salam camp in Dar Saad district, Aden, Yemen, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)

An aerial view shows the Al-Salam camp, which shelters displaced Yemenis, in Dar Saad district, Aden, Yemen, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)

A displaced Yemeni reads a newspaper at the Al-Firdaws camp in Ras Imran on the western outskirts of Aden, Yemen, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)