Football season is in full swing, and Doc's Sports has been knocking them out of the park in both the college ranks and the pros with our winning selection packages. We are in our 43^rd year of business in the sports selection industry and proving every day that things do get better with age. Doc's has been able to gain the edge over our competition with an expert team of some of the top handicappers in the nation. One of our top performers for the past eight years has been Raphael Esparza, who has established his selection service as one of the best in the game.

Raphael honed his skill as an expert handicapper during a long and illustrious career behind the counter of some of the biggest sportsbooks in Las Vegas. Formerly known as the Vegas Sports Informer, he rose through the ranks to hold the prestigious position of Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria.

He has been retired from the sportsbook industry for well over a year but remains hard at work expanding his relationships with some of the biggest and most influential insiders in Las Vegas. These industry professionals know the gaming industry inside and out, and Raphael has been able to incorporate this "inside edge" into all the selections he releases.

His handicapping service is unique in that it provides winning picks for all the major sports as well as selection packages for sports such as the WNBA, horse racing, boxing, professional tennis and soccer leagues all around the globe. Recently, he has gone as far as offering picks for professional wrestling and high school football.

Doc's Sports has set up a weekly Q&A with Raphael to gain access to that Las Vegas "inside edge". Our goal is to get his expert insight into some of the hottest trending topics in the sports betting industry today. We have found that there is no better source than someone that is a true "insider" in the undisputed sports gambling capital of the world. The following is this week's conversation.

Doc's Sports: There are a number of head-to-head matchups between nationally-ranked teams on this week's college football schedule with three big showdowns alone in the SEC. Of those three games, which SEC team do you see having the best shot at pulling off the upset?

RE: I actually think that Mississippi State (against Texas A&M), Mississippi (against Alabama) and LSU (against Auburn) all have a chance to win on Saturday, but if I had to pick one it would be Ole Miss. The jury is still out for me when it comes to the Crimson Tide, so that makes the Rebels getting six points at home a very interesting play.

Doc's Sports: The favorites dominated the early action in the NFL last week, but how much ground did the Las Vegas sportsbooks make upwith both New Orleans and New England going down in flames to close things out?

RE : The books in town had a strong day all around, with a ton of action on Pittsburgh and Atlanta leading the way. They did cash in big on the Saints on Sunday night as majority of the betting public was going against Dallas, but the overall take for the week took a hit with the sharps going with Kansas City on Monday night. All told, the books continued to get the best of it through the early going of the NFL season.

Doc's Sports : Turning to Week 5 in the NFL, there are a number of matchups with a betting spread of a touchdown or more on the Las Vegas boards. Can you give us a couple of teams that are in position to bark the loudest as heavy underdogs this week?

RE: The current spreads in these two games are not that big, but I like Chicago on the road against Carolina and Atlanta getting four points on the road against the Giants. The one long shot on the board that has me the most interested is Tampa Bay. That line continues to climb into the double-digits , and I am still not convinced that the Saints can even win this game straight up.

Doc's Sports: The march towards this year's MLB World Series gets underway this week with the one-game Wild-Card Round and the start of each league's divisional series this weekend. Last week you mentioned the Angels and the Nationals as your top two favorites to win their respective pennant, but can you give us one or two long shots to watch in this race?

RE: I will be rooting hard against St. Louis in its series against the Dodgers, but as much as I hate to admit it, you can never count the Cardinals out of it when the playoffs roll around. My sleeper team in the AL would have to be Oakland. The A's have really struggled down the stretch, but this time of year it is all about pitching, and this staff still has the ability to carry this team to a World Series if it can suddenly get hot.

Doc's Sports : In some of your recent posts for your blog, Straight Bet Talk, you have released picks for professional wrestling as well as a high school football game. What betting event do you have up your sleeve for your next round of "off-the-grid" picks?

RE: The big event I am looking forward to this weekend is a double-dose of MMA bouts with UFC Fight Night 53 in Sweden and UFC Fight Night 54 in Nova Scotia. Combined, there will be over 12 hours of fight action this upcoming Saturday, so be sure to check my blog for some insider betting tips.

Click here to visit Raphael Esparza's Insider's Page at Doc's Sports for more information on his amazingly-profitable sports handicapping picks. Also, get $60 worth of Esparza's member's picks absolutely free - no obligation, no sales people - you don't even have to enter credit card information. You can use this $60 credit for any sport Esparza handicaps. Click here for $60 worth of free picks from Raphael Esparza . Also be sure to follow him on Twitter @VSIDocsports.