Doc’s Sports Service is off to another great start this football season, providing our loyal customers with a number of winning selections to cash in on the games. For well over four decades, we have established ourselves as one of the premier selection companies in the sports gaming industry for the ability to deliver winners on a consistent basis for all the major sports. Doc’s attributes a great deal of our success to a longstanding relationship with some of the best handicappers in the business. Over the past seven years, one of those top performers has been Raphael Esparza. He was formerly 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. After recently retiring from the sportsbook industry, Raphael continues to use his vast network of contacts in Las Vegas to maintain his insider’s edge. This edge has contributed heavily to a winning record of selections for a wide array of sports.

Awhile back, Doc’s Sports decided to tap into this insider’s edge by sitting down with Raphael on a weekly basis to gain insight into some of the hottest trending topics in the sports gaming industry today. He is living proof that working and living in the sports gambling capital of the world can helped one become one of the best handicappers in the business. The following is this week’s discussion.

Doc’s Sports: The San Francisco 49ers have been blown out in two consecutive games. Is this genuine cause for concern, or will they be able to turn things around and get back to their winning ways?

RE: The first thing that the 49ers need to do is go back to the style of offense that made Colin Kaepernick an overnight sensation in the first place. They have been unable to run the ball behind Frank Gore, and the loss of Michael Crabtree has taken a huge target out of their passing game, so head coach Jim Harbaugh is going to have to turn Kaepernick loose to spark this team.

Doc’s Sports: Pittsburgh and New York are two other playoff contenders that find themselves in serious trouble after a 0-3 start. Which one of these teams has the best chance to right the ship and still compete for their respective division title?

RE: I not sure either team has a chance to turn things around, but if I had to choose it would be New York. Eli Manning is the type of player that can throw eight interceptions in three games and then go out and throw eight touchdowns in his next three. The Steelers are looking old and tired. They have serious problems in almost every phase of the game, which could result in a major overhaul at the end of the season.

Doc’s Sports: There are four games on this Saturday’s college football slate that feature matchups between two Top-25 teams. Which one has caught your interest the most?

RE: The one at the top of my list is LSU on the road against Georgia. The Tigers have been known primarily for their defense, but this season it has been an offensive explosion with more than 40 points a game. While they have been fun to watch, LSU is going to have to go back to its bread and butter of shutting teams down to win this one.

Doc’s Sports: The MLB Playoffs get underway next week, so can you give us an early prediction of which two teams will win their respective league’s pennant and meet in this year’s World Series?

RE: I would have to go with Boston in the American League. Any time a team has the luxury of using one of its former starters in the bullpen during the postseason, it’s a huge plus, and that is exactly what the Red Sox have in Ryan Dempster. The National League could be somewhat tighter, but I would lean towards Atlanta, especially if Justin Upton and Freddie Freeman continue to play like they have all season long.

Doc’s Sports: It is no secret that you are a big fan of the WNBA. With the playoffs underway in that league as well, which two teams do you have going all the way to the finals?

RE: With Chicago and Los Angeles out of the picture, it looks like a clear path for a Minnesota vs. Indiana rematch in this year’s finals. The one team I would keep an eye on would be Phoenix as it could be poised to pull off another upset in a three-game series after ousting LA.

To keep up on all the inside information from Las Vegas be sure to follow Esparzaq on Twitter @vsidocsports. Also, if you have any questions for Esparza that you would like us to cover in future articles, please email them to askvsi@docsports.com, and we will do our best to add them into the mix.