The start of another football season means another opportunity for Doc’s Sports to move to the top of the class as the premier selection company in the sports gaming industry. For well over 40 years we have prided ourselves for the ability to provide a large and loyal customer base with a steady stream of winners for all the major sports, especially Big Ten football. Our success can be attributed to a solid working relationship with some of the best handicappers in the business, and one of the best of the best for the past seven years has been Raphael Esparza. He was previously known as the Vegas Sports Informer during a long and illustrious career working behind the counter for some of the biggest sportsbooks in Las Vegas. Raphael has recently retired from the sportsbook industry, but he continues to maintain his insider’s edge in town to uncover winning selections for a wide arena of sporting events.

Starting with last year’s football season, Doc’s Sports decided to sit down with Raphael on a weekly basis to gain insight into some of the hottest trending topics in the sports gaming industry today. He can provide a unique perspective that can only be gained by living in the sports gambling capital of the world. The following is this week’s discussion.

Doc’s Sports: As we head into another college football season, Alabama remains the clear favorite to add a third-straight national title to its resume and its fourth in five years. Do you see the Crimson Tide laying claim to the final BCS Championship before the start of a four-team playoff system next year, or is there a team lurking in the wings that can take them down?

RE: Alabama is definitely the class of the SEC this season and should have a pretty clear path all the way to the conference title game. If there is one team that might be able to stop its run, it would be Georgia. The Bulldogs came within five points of knocking off the Tide in last year’s SEC Championship, and they should get another shot to beat them this year in early December.

Doc’s Sports: Week 1 of the new college football season kicks off this Thursday night. Can you give us one matchup on the schedule that has really caught your interest out of all the season openers?

RE: I am interested to see how USC decides to use two quarterbacks in its season opener against Hawaii, and BYU should have a good battle on its hands against Virginia as it tries to bounce back from a disappointing 2012 season. The biggest game on the slate is Georgia against Clemson. This is one of two big tests for the Bulldogs, with the other coming against South Carolina. The best play in this showdown could be the “under” on the total line as 72 points seems awful high to me.

Doc’s Sports: The start of a new NFL season is a little over two weeks away, and in the past few years a few select rookies have made a major impact in their first year in the league. As of right now, which player from this year’s rookie class will have the most impact this season?

RE: I do not see any rookie quarterbacks stepping into the limelight this season, but two players that have both stayed under the radar this preseason appear poised for a big year. San Diego’s Manti Te’o and Arizona’s Tyrann Mathieu have quietly gone about their business during training camp, and I really like their chances to make an immediate impact during the regular season.

Doc’s Sports: While it looks like half of this season’s MLB division races have already been pretty much decided, the American League West remains up for grabs between Texas and Oakland. Which of the two do you have winning the division crown?

RE: These two teams have been neck-and-neck in the AL West all season long, but the addition of Matt Garza was just what the Rangers needed to put them over the top in this race. I also have to question how well Oakland’s hitting will hold up down the stretch as it has already shown some signs of slipping a bit over the past few weeks.

Doc’s Sports: One of your favorite leagues to handicap is the WNBA. Can you give us a quick update on one or two teams to ride over the final few weeks of the regular season?

RE: Chicago continues to be a dominant force in the Eastern Conference and a great team to ride as a home favorite as long as the spread is not too wide. I have actually been going against teams such as Los Angeles and Phoenix at home, especially when the spreads start to expand. This is because you normally do not have nearly as many blowouts in this league as you do in the NBA.

Raphael Esparza is fresh off The Strip as he was the Sports Book Manager at Aria Resort & Casino. Last year he had a winning football season, and this year he looks for another stellar football year. You can get $60 worth of free picks from Esparza for any sport by clicking here (first-time clients only). Follow Esparza on Twitter @VSIdocsports.