Back in 1971 Doc's Sports started its selection service with the simple goal of providing our customers with a steady stream of winning picks for wagering on sporting events. We are now into our 43^rd year in the sports selection business and proud to say that we have made good on that lofty mission as one of the top companies in a very competitive industry. One of the unique benefits of our service is proper money management through the use of Doc's Unit Betting System. The other is a strong commitment to surrounding ourselves with some of the best handicappers in the business. All of this has kept Doc's at the top of our game for well over four decades.

One of our top expert handicappers for close to eight years has been Raphael Esparza. He cut his teeth in this industry during a long and illustrious career working behind the counter for some of the biggest sportsbooks in Las Vegas. Raphael went on to become known as The Vegas Informer during his rise to the top of his profession as the former Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria.

Raphael decided to retire from the sportsbook industry in 2013 to spend all of his time gathering up-to-the-minute information from some of the biggest insiders in Las Vegas. These professionals know the sports betting industry inside and out, and Raphael has built his success as a sports handicapper by incorporating this valuable "inside edge" into all of his selections. What makes his selection service even more profitable to today's sophisticated player is the ability to offer picks for a wide array of sporting events, including the WNBA, horse racing, boxing, professional tennis and soccer leagues all around the globe.

Doc's Sports has been conducting an ongoing Q&A with Raphael to provide our readers exclusive access to this "inside edge". The main goal of these weekly discussions is to cover some of the hottest trending topics in the sports betting industry today. What better source is there than someone deeply connected in the undisputed sports gambling capital of the world? The following is this week's conversation.

Doc's Sports : The cream appears to be rising to the top in the NBA with Miami, San Antonio and even Indiana in control of their Conference Semifinals series with 3-1 leads. The big question is which team survives the Clippers vs. Thunder series, which is knotted at two games apiece heading into Tuesday's Game 5?

RE: This has been a tough series to predict as no lead is safe, which was clearly the case in Clippers come-from-victory in Game 4. I have Oklahoma City winning Game 5 at home, but the best play could be on Los Angeles and the five points. As far as the overall series, I will continue to go with the Thunder in seven games.

Doc's Sports: When it comes to the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, we are headed for two Game 7 showdowns in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Do Pittsburgh and/or Boston prevail as the home team favorites or do the Rangers and/or Canadiens pull off the big upset?

RE : I have been taking about the Rangers as my spoiler team throughout the NHL playoffs, and given Henrik Lundqvist's current form in goal they have a great shot at pulling off the upset. Game 7 between Montreal and Boston should also be an exciting matchup as well, but I would not bet against the Bruins at home.

Doc's Sports: Last weekend's NFL Draft captivated football fans all over the world with the manufactured drama that has been built into this event in recent years. But how much weight do you place on a team's actual selections when it comes handicapping their chances for the upcoming season?

RE: The only two things that I might take into consideration is a rookie quarterback that is pretty much penciled in as a starter such as Jacksonville's Blake Bortles and game-changers on defense such as Houston's Jadeveon Clowney and Oakland's Khalil Mack.

In the case of the Jaguars I might be tempted to jump on some big spreads early if Bortles looks comfortable in the starting role during the preseason. I would also look at the early play on the "under" in the case of the Texans and Raiders as these two players have the ability to make their team's entire defense better.

Doc's Sports : Everyone knows what a huge soccer fan you are, so can you give us an early glimpse at your top favorite to win the World Cup?

RE: We are just about a month away from the start of the 2014 World Cup, and while it is no big surprise that Brazil is currently the hometown favorite with just about every sportsbook's futures odds, I really like Germany as my team to watch. They have the size and strength to physically dominate teams, and if they start finding the back of the net they will be a very tough out.

Doc's Sports : California Chrome is bound to go off as a prohibitive favorite to win the second leg of this year's Triple Crown with a victory in this Saturday's Preakness Stakes. While the overall field will be small, can you give us another horse that has a legitimate shot at winning this race?

RE: It would not surprise me to see California Chrome open as low as a 1/9 favorite on the morning line, but post position will still be a big factor. Even though I think it is his race to lose, the three other horses in the field that have caught my eye as legitimate contenders are Danza, Ride on Curlin and Dynamic Impact.

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.