Doc's Sports has been able to establish itself as a leader and innovator in the sports selection industry over the past four decades for doing one thing extremely well; providing a very loyal customer base with a steady stream of winners for all the major sports. We established Doc's Unit Betting System to add a proper money management component to our selections. This, in turn, is designed to help provide a solid return on investment for anyone who is serious about betting on sports. We have also made 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 over 43 years in one of the most competitive industries around.

Raphael Esparza has been one of Doc's expert handicappers for close to eight years, but he started in the industry well before that 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 a climb to the top of his profession as the former Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria.

He decided to call it a career in the sportsbook industry in 2013 to have even more time to hone his handicapping skills. Raphael's main job now is building on established relationships with some of the biggest insiders in Las Vegas. These professionals know the sports betting industry inside and out, and Raphael incorporates this unique "inside edge" into all of his handicapping efforts. What makes his selection service even more unique 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 and Raphael have been sitting down in a weekly Q&A for some time now in order to provide our readers exclusive access to this "inside edge". The main goal of these ongoing conversations 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 discussion.

Doc's Sports : The underdogs covered the spread in over two-thirds of the 50 games that were played in an extended opening round of this year's NBA playoffs. What are your thoughts of the four underdogs in this year's NBA Conference Semifinals as far as keeping this trend going?

RE: The underdogs are already off to a 2-0 start both straight up and against the spread as of Monday night's games, so I would have to say that this betting trend is alive and well. I especially like Portland and Washington as predominant dogs in their series, and I also like Brooklyn to cover with the 7.5 points in Tuesday's Game 1 against Miami.

Doc's Sports: The cream is starting to rise to the top in the NHL's Western Conference Semifinals with both Chicago and Los Angeles getting off to fast starts. Are both of these series pretty much over, or does Minnesota (against the Blackhawks) or Anaheim (against the Kings) have any chance to close the gap?

RE : I actually think Minnesota still has a chance to make a series out of it with the next two games at home, but I do not see Anaheim lasting more than maybe five games. The Ducks lost their first two games at home, and they are having major problems scoring, which plays right into the strength of this Kings' team.

Doc's Sports: Over in the NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals, the series between Boston and Montreal already has the makings of an 'instant classic'. How do you see this one turning out?

RE: I would have to agree that this one should turn out to be a battle all the way to a Game 7 in Boston. The fact that Montreal was able to go into TD Garden and get that first win swings quite a bit of momentum in the Canadiens' favor with the next two games on their home ice. I will reserve judgment on an actual pick until this series has a few more games under its belt.

Doc's Sports : It was not nearly as easy as the moneyline odds might have suggested, but Floyd Mayweather Jr. came away with the majority decision in this past Saturday's welterweight bout against Marcos Maidana. Amir Khan also won his welterweight fight against Luis Collazo on Saturday's undercard,. So what is the next big bout you expect to see in this division?

RE: Before Saturday night's results I fully expected all the talk to shift to a Mayweather vs. Khan fight some time later this year, but since Floyd Jr. did not look his best in that win, I would not be surprised to see a rematch against Maidana in his next bout. A lot could also depend on what Manny Pacquiao's future fight plans may be.

Doc's Sports : California Chrome stayed true to all the hype as the Kentucky Derby favorite by posting a solid 1 ¼ lengths victory this past Saturday at Churchill Downs. What are your early thoughts about his chances to add the second leg of the Triple Crown with a win in the Preakness on May 17?

RE: The futures odds for this race have yet to be released, but look for California Chrome to open as an even-money favorite to win on the morning line. I think you are also going to see a smaller-than-expected field as some trainers may opt to hold their horse out of the Preakness to concentrate on a run in the Belmont Stakes in early June.

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.