We are down to the stretch run of this season's NCAA Tournament with the final 16 teams, and both the NBA and NHL are rolling towards the playoffs, making this a great time to get on board with Doc's Sports for all your betting picks. We have been at the top of the sports betting game for 44 years behind a team of expert handicappers that include some of the best of the best in the industry.

Raphael Esparza has been with Doc's for over eight years as one of the top members of the Advisory Board. He honed his craft as an expert handicapper during a long and successful career with some of the biggest sportsbooks in Las Vegas. The former Vegas Sports Informer once held the prestigious position of Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria until his retirement from the industry in 2013.

He continues to be successful as a top expert handicapper by making the most of a direct connection to a vast network of Las Vegas "insiders" that include some of the town's biggest and most influential personalities in the sports betting game. These professionals know this industry inside and out, and he has used this information to create a true "insider's edge" for all of his selections. Savvy bettors understand the value that Raphael brings to the table, and the proof is in the small fortune they have pocketed over the years with his picks.

His selection service goes well beyond covering just the major sports with picks for sports such as the WNBA, horse racing, boxing, professional tennis and soccer leagues all around the globe. One week it might be pro wrestling and the next it could be prop bet picks in the world of entertainment. It is safe to say that if a sportsbook posts odds for it, he will handicap it.

Doc's and Raphael continue an ongoing weekly Q&A to delve deeper into the Las Vegas betting scene as well as cover some of the hottest trending sports betting topics of the day. We have found that there is no better source than someone that is a true "insider" in the undisputed sports gambling capital of the world. The following is this week's conversation.

Doc's Sports: Looking back at the action from the first few rounds of this year's men's NCAA Tournament, the Sweet 16 is filled with five of the top eight seeds. For the most part the favorites have held up pretty well across the board, so who won the first go-round in this year's Big Dance; the bettors or the Las Vegas books?

RE: The Las Vegas sportsbooks could have posted one of their biggest days ever in college basketball with last Thursday's overall take. Everything went their way that day, starting with Notre Dame failing to cover and both Iowa State and Baylor losing straight up. Even when the betting public tried to pick the upsets, they came up short. The next three days of action went back and forth, but Thursday's gain was enough to carry the books for the entire weekend.

Doc's Sports: Now that we know which 16 teams are left in this year's field, can you us your prediction for which ones will advance to the Final Four following this weekend's games?

RE: Kentucky is an obvious choice in the Midwest, and I still like Wisconsin in the West over Arizona. Duke is playing well in the South, but I am going with Gonzaga to keep things rolling all the way to the Final Four. The East is wide-open, but I think that Oklahoma has what it takes to get past both Michigan State and either Louisville or NC State.

Doc's Sports : We all know that Kentucky is a heavy favorite to win this year's national title, but moving to the women's NCAA Tournament, is there anyone out there stopping Connecticut from doing the same?

RE: It is hard to see the Huskies getting knocked off just like it is hard to see Kentucky losing this year, but if I had to pick one school that could possibly pull off the sweep it would be Notre Dame. On the men's side the Irish would have to shoot lights out to beat the Wildcats, but the Notre Dame's women's team already knows it can stand toe-to-toe against Connecticut.

Doc's Sports: As we continue to move through your MLB picks to win each division this season, can you give us your thoughts on one of the most competitive divisions in the majors; the NL Central?

RE: I would love to say that Chicago will win the NL Central as a huge Cubs fan, but that might still be one or two seasons away. They will definitely be much more competitive, but realistically my Cubs are battling for third. I am going to go out on a limb and pick Pittsburgh to finish ahead of St. Louis. The Pirates have already proven they have what it takes to win, and this time around they will be the team to squeeze out the Central by a couple of games.

Doc's Sports : Last week on your blog, Straight Talk Bet, you posted Bankerz Bets most recent NBA power rankings. One of the more interesting questions that was raised was when the New York and/or Philadelphia will post a winning season. As a futures odds bet, it was suggested that the 2020-21 season would be the favorite. What would be your guess for each of these storied franchises gone bad?

RE: Right off the bat, there is a major gap between New York and Philadelphia's future outlook despite similar records this season. The Knicks still have Phil Jackson pulling the strings and a star player in Carmelo Anthony. They also have plenty of cap space to go out and attack some solid free agent talent. If a few moves go its way, New York could be a winning team as early as next season, while the 2020-21 season could be right on the money for Philadelphia.

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.