Doc's Sports is in our 43^rd year of business, and we are currently gearing up for another successful run in both college football and the NFL. One of the main reasons we have remained at the top of our game for so long is the relationship we have built with some of the best expert handicappers in the field. A prime example of this is Doc's eight-year partnership with Raphael Esparza, who is widely considered one of the best in the business.

He cut his teeth in the sports betting industry during a long and illustrious career working behind the counter for some of the biggest sportsbooks in Las Vegas, and at the height of his career he was the Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria.

Formally known as the Vegas Sports Informer, Raphael retired from the sportsbook industry a year ago to focus all of his energy working with a vast network of some of the biggest and most influential insiders in Las Vegas. These professionals know the sports betting industry inside and out, which has helped to create an "inside edge" that Raphael incorporates into all of the selections he releases. His handicapping service is truly unique in that it provides selection packages for a wide array of sports that include the WNBA, horse racing, boxing, professional tennis and soccer leagues all around the globe.

Doc's has made a point of sitting down with Raphael through a weekly Q&A format to get his expert insight into some of the hottest trending topics in the sports betting industry today. What better source is there than someone with direct access to the undisputed sports betting capital of the world? The following is this week's conversation.

Doc's Sports: The NFL Preseason gets underway this Sunday night with the Hall of Fame Game. Given how starved people are to bet on football after such a long layoff, what kind of action do the Las Vegas sportsbooks bring in for the NFL Preseason games?

RE: The Hall of Fame Game will actually draw quite a bit of interest from bettors in town simply because it is the first game of the year and it will be televised. Week 1 of the preseason will help to raise the overall handle as well, but things drop off the next three weeks since the majority of the games are not available on national TV.

Doc's Sports: We have already talked about the most of the division races in the AFC this season, so turning to the AFC East, is it a foregone conclusion that New England once again walks away with the title in this division in 2014 as a prohibitive favorite?

RE : I do think that New England will win the AFC East again this year, but the gap between the Patriots and Miami is not nearly as wide as the futures odds might suggest. The Dolphins would still need a ton of things to go their way to actually this division, but look for them to keep things interesting well into December.

Doc's Sports : With expectations running high for both UCLA and USC's football program this season, the competition to win the Pac-12 title this season could get quite interesting. I know that you closely follow this conference, so can you give us your pick to win the Pac-12 this year?

RE: I think the level of competition in this conference has gone up across the board with a number of programs moving in the right direction. Oregon would have to be my pick to win the Pac-12 title given that the Ducks are my 1A pick to win a national title. I actually have USC coming out on top in the South Division on the strength of its defense.

Doc's Sports: The one MLB division race we have not talked about yet is between Los Angeles and San Francisco in the NL West. The Dodgers are coming off a huge three-game sweep on the road against their bitter rivals this past weekend, so do you think it their race to lose at this point, or can the Giants hang in to the bitter end?

RE: The Giants picked a bad time to go into a slide as they cannot afford to fall too far behind in this race. I fully expect Los Angeles to go after another big-time starter before the MLB trade deadline. If a deal does go through that would pretty much seal things for the Dodgers in this race. Especially when you take into consideration the edge they already have over San Francisco when it comes to scoring runs.

Doc's Sports : You recently listed Bovada's betting odds and some personal picks for this year's Primetime Emmy Awards in your blog, Straight Bet Talk. Does this event actually generate any noticeable action with the Las Vegas sportbooks?

RE: Not all the books in town will post odds for the Emmys, but the ones that do will play it up big to try and attract a different crowd into their place. The Wynn Resort and Casino probably does the best job of promoting this event, and the Emmy's always attract quite a bit of betting action offshore and in the UK.

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.