As Doc’s Sports enters our 43rd year in business as one of the top selection services in the sports gaming industry, we are proud to say that we just wrapped up an incredible season of college football and remain primed for even more success in the Super Bowl as well as the NBA, NHL and college basketball seasons. One of the biggest reasons for our continued success is a strong working relationship with some of the top handicappers in their field.

One of the ‘best of the best’ for close to eight years has been Raphael Esparza. He was previously referred to as the Vegas Sports Informer during a long and illustrious career working behind the counter of some of the biggest sportsbooks in Las Vegas, including the position of Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria. Raphael decided to retire from the sportsbook industry this past summer to devote all of his time to sourcing inside information from vast network of contacts in Las Vegas. He has worked hard to create an ‘inside edge’ that remains a vital part of his handicapping efforts for all the selections he releases. Raphael offers sports wagering packages for one of the widest arrays of leagues and individual events in the business, so if you can bet on it, he will most likely be able to provide the pick!

For well over a year, Doc’s Sports has been tapping into this ‘inside edge’ through a series of open discussions with Raphael that are specifically designed to uncover valuable insight into the hottest trending topics in the sports gaming industry today. He has proven time and time again that working and living in the undisputed sports gambling capital of the world has kept him at the top of his game. The following is this week’s discussion.

Doc’s Sports: The cream has risen to the top in the AFC with No. 2 seed New England travelling to Denver this Sunday to face the No. 1 seed Broncos in the conference championship. There are a number of subplots in this matchup including Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning, but overall, which team do you see coming out on top?

RE: Right out of the gate this line opened at 6.5, and while I thought it would settle in around 5.5, it has already dropped to four points with some of the books in town. I agree that too much has been made about the Brady vs. Manning angle in this matchup. The deciding edge for me is Denver playing this game at home. 

Doc’s Sports: The NFC title game is the rubber match between San Francisco and Seattle after each team won at home during the regular season. The home team in this NFC West rivalry has won nine of the last 10 meetings straight up. Does this trend hold up in this Sunday’s matchup?

RE: Much has been made about Seattle’s edge at home, but it could be walking into a hornet’s nest against a San Francisco team that is firing on all cylinders in every phase of the game. The key to the 49ers getting back to the Super Bowl lies in their defense’s ability to contain Marshawn Lynch and force Russell Wilson to beat them with his arm.

Doc’s Sports: Continuing with our look at the race to the regular season title in the top conferences in men’s college basketball, what is your early take on the new-look Big East as far as which teams are true contenders verses the pretenders?

RE: The gap between the pretenders and the contenders is not all that wide in a conference with several good teams but no great teams. Before the season started I pegged Creighton as one of my ‘teams to watch’ this season, so I would have to give the nod to the Bluejays as my top contender in the Big East.

Doc’s Sports: The NBA regular season continues to grind on, and while it remains a two-team race in the East between Indiana and Miami, which team would be your futures favorite right now to win the Western Conference title?

RE: Most bettors will continue to lean towards the traditional powers in the West such as Oklahoma City or San Antonio, but the value in the numbers right now are with Portland first and then Golden State. Both these teams can beat you by running the court and shooting threes, which to me, gives them the inside edge over everyone else.

Doc’s Sports: Professional tennis just kicked off play in its first major of the season, the Australian Open. Can you give us one player from both the men’s and women’s side of the bracket to ride all the way to the title?

RE:The men’s bracket remains wide open, but if I was looking for the best value in one particular player right now it would be Juan Martin del Potro, who is primed for a breakthrough in this major with a win. On the women’s side it is still Serena Williams’ tournament to lose, although I have been impressed with the play of Na Li.

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.