For the past 42 years, Doc’s Sports Service has remained at the top of the sports selection industry by providing our loyal customers with winning picks for all the major sports. This is especially true when it comes to college football and the NFL. We attribute a great deal of our success to a longstanding relationship with some of the best handicappers in the business. Over the past seven years, Raphael Esparza has worked his way to the top of the class. He was previously known as the Vegas Sports Informer during a long and illustrious career working behind the counter for some of the biggest sports books in Las Vegas, including a successful stint as Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria. Raphael decided to retire from the sportsbook industry earlier this year, but he remains hard at work tapping into a vast network of contacts in Las Vegas to maintain his insider’s edge. This edge has been instrumental in delivering a steady stream of winning selections for a wide array of sports.

Doc’s Sports has been tapping into this insider’s edge through a series of weekly discussions with Raphael that cover some of the hottest trending topics in the sports gaming industry today. He continues to provide tangible proof that living and working in the undisputed sports gambling capital of the world has had a direct correlation to his rise to the top of the handicapping ranks. The following is this week’s discussion.

Doc’s Sports: The NFL regular season crosses the halfway point heading into Week 9. Which teams have been your personal shining stars to wager on through the first eight weeks?

RE: My main staple so far this season has been the “over” on the Denver games, which is currently a perfect 8-0. This team has the ability to score at the drop of a dime, and so far that has held up in every single game they have played. I have also gone with New Orleans quite a few times because of its vastly improved defense, and I have gone against Pittsburgh a number of times because of the favorable lines.

Doc’s Sports: There are a number of playoff-caliber teams that are below .500 heading into the second half of the NFL season. Can you give us one or two that might be able to turn things around over the next two months and make a legitimate run to the postseason?

RE: The New York Giants would have to be at the top of that list simply because they play in the NFC East, where 8-8 could easily win the division title. My other team would be the Houston Texans. Partially because I am not completely sold on the Colts running away with the AFC South and partially because I think the move to Case Keenum at quarterback could be just what the Texans need to spark a run.

Doc’s Sports: The big showdown in college football this Saturday sends No. 7 Miami to Tallahassee to face the No. 3 Florida State Seminoles. The Hurricanes come into this ACC clash as three-touchdown underdogs on the road, but do they have any shot at pulling off a straight up upset?

RE: If Florida State plays to its ability, it should win this game with and cover the large spread with relative ease. Miami is a good team, but it does not have the horses to run with the Seminoles on the scoreboard. Florida State also realizes that a big win on Saturday would go a long way towards holding onto the No. 2 spot in the BCS rankings this time around.

Doc’s Sports: The Boston Red Sox are just one win away from laying claim to this season’s World Series title, with the final two games of this best-of-seven matchup at Fenway Park. It this thing over, or does St. Louis have any tricks left in its bag to pull off an improbable series win in seven games?

RE: The Cardinals have a great shot at forcing a Game 7 with Michael Wacha on the mound in Wednesday night’s Game 6. Right now he would get my vote as the MVP of these playoffs and this series. As far as which team goes on to win that final game and the MLB title, I would have to give the slight edge to Boston playing at home.

Doc’s Sports: The new NBA season gets underway this Tuesday night with an interesting Eastern Conference tilt between Chicago and Miami. Are there any other intriguing matchups on the slate later this week that have caught your interest?

RE: My personal favorite this week is Wednesday night’s Washington vs. Detroit game. Both of these teams will be much improved this season, and while I am not picking either to win their division, both should be able to contend for a playoff spot this year. The other game that caught my interest is Thursday night’s Warriors vs. Clippers game as this sets-up to be the most entertaining matchup on the slate over the next few days.