Now in our 43^rd year in the sports selection industry, Doc's Sports continues to be a leader in the field through our ability to consistently provide a very loyal customer base with winning picks for all the major sports. After posting another profitable run throughout the college basketball season, we have focused our attention on doing the same for both the NBA and NHL playoffs. One of the main reasons why Doc's has been so successful in a very competitive environment is our strong commitment to surrounding ourselves with some of the best handicappers in the game.

Raphael Esparza has been one of Doc's Sports expert handicappers for close to eight years, but he goes way back in the business during a long and illustrious career working behind the counter of some of the biggest sportsbooks in Las Vegas. Raphael was formally known as The Vegas Informer during a climb to the top of his profession as the former Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria.

He has since retired from the sportsbook industry in order to devote all of his time working with some of the biggest insiders in Las Vegas. These professionals know the sports betting industry insider and out, and Raphael has done an excellent job at incorporating this unique "inside edge" into all of his handicapping efforts. The most impressive aspect of his handicapping skills is his willingness and ability to offer selections 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 decided to sit down with Raphael for a weekly Q&A to give our loyal readers access to this "inside edge" by covering 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 discussion.

Doc's Sports : Through the first 10 games of this year's NBA playoffs, the underdogs are 6-4 straight up with a 7-3 record against the spread. Do you see this early trend continuing, or will the favorites start taking control of these opening-round series?

RE: This will probably turn out to be a series-by-series trend. I really like both Washington's and Memphis's chance to cover as underdogs in their series as each one could easily go the distance. However; I also look for teams such as Miami and Los Angeles to keep winning with relative ease. The Heat are just starting to warm up to postseason play, and the Clippers responded extremely well from a huge wake-up call in Game 1 against Golden State.

Doc's Sports: How much trouble is No. 1 seed Indiana in after losing its series opener to Atlanta this past Saturday as an eight-point favorite at home?

RE : If Indiana does not win Game 2 on Tuesday night with some kind of authority, I think the Pacers will really struggle to advance past the first round of the playoffs. They need to make a statement more so for their own benefit to help remind themselves which team is the No. 1 seed in this matchup.

Doc's Sports: The defending NHL Champion Chicago Blackhawks lost the first two games of their opening-round series against St. Louis as road underdogs, but they bounced back on Monday with a crucial 2-0 shutout as favorites at home. How do you see the rest of this best-of-seven showdown playing out?

RE: Home ice in this series should hold all the way to a deciding Game 7. From there I see the Blackhawks breaking this trend with a road victory in that final showdown. The past experience of winning the Stanley Cup will provide the edge that Chicago needs to get past its bitter Central Division rival when everything is on the line for both teams.

Doc's Sports : Last week we talked about the New York Rangers being your sleeper team in the East. Now that we have a couple of games in the books in all four opening-round series, has any other team caught your eye from that conference?

RE: I actually think the winner of the Rangers verse Flyers series has the best chance to make the most noise in the East as the playoffs progress. Oftentimes in the NHL you will have a team that parlays the huge momentum that comes from winning an opening-round series into a couple of big upsets down the road.

Doc's Sports : We have been slowly working our way through the MLB as far as your top pick to win each division title, which takes us to the AL Central. Detroit opened the new season as a prohibitive favorite to win this division, but as of Monday's games the Tigers only have a one-game lead over Chicago, Minnesota and Kansas City, with Cleveland only sitting a game and a half back. Do you see this race remaining tight or will Detroit pull away as the season wears on?

RE: Just as with any contending team in baseball, the Tigers' pitching will need to stay healthy to build any kind of meaningful lead. While I am not sold on Chicago or Kansas City at this point, I still like Cleveland's chances to remain competitive in the AL Central. There is enough talent on this Indians' team to make things interesting for Detroit all year long.

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.