With the NFL in the rearview mirror for now, Doc's Sports has turned its full attention to picking winners for the sports that are generating the action, especially when it comes to college hoops and the NBA. One of the primary reasons that we have been leaders in the sports selection industry heading into our 44^th year in business has been the ability to surround ourselves with top expert handicappers that are known for producing winners on a regular basis.

One of the 'best of the best' entering his ninth year with Doc's has been Raphael Esparza. He was known as the Vegas Sports Informer during a long tenure behind the counter of some of the biggest sportsbooks in Las Vegas. At the height of his career, he held the prestigious position of Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria until his retirement in 2013.

Over the years, Raphael has developed a vast network of some of the biggest and most influential sports insiders in Las Vegas today. These professionals know the sports betting industry inside and out, and he has been able to incorporate this "insider's edge" into all of the selection packages he releases. The end result has been a small fortune for savvy bettors over the past several years.

As an expert handicapper, Raphael prides himself on not just concentrating his efforts on the major sports, but for his ability to uncover betting opportunities for sports such as the WNBA, horse racing, boxing, professional tennis and soccer leagues all around the globe. He has even expanded his offerings by releasing a number of winning picks for professional wrestling, high school football and even the world of entertainment. It's 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 that delves deeper into the Las Vegas betting scene as well as discusses 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: ESPN recently reported that Nevada's 187 sportsbooks took in close to $114 million in profits in 2014 on $1.7 billion in wagers on both college and pro football. The burning question is how did the books fare in this past Sunday's Super Bowl?

RE: The books lost money on the game itself with New England winning and the total going "over," but the net take was still in the black given the money they made on the props. One of the biggest moneymakers to the tune of six figures was on all of the game props that had to do with alternative pointspreads.

Doc's Sports: The boxing world continues to wait patiently for the official confirmation that a proposed May 2 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. actually takes place to the point where you can already place wagers on who wins with several sportsbooks. In your opinion, does this fight go off considering that time is starting to become a major factor to getting a deal done?

RE: This is as close as these two sides have been in recent memory to putting this bout together, but I still remain highly skeptical that it will actually take place. I would go as far to say that I can easily see Mayweather fighting Amir Khan on May 2 at the MGM Grand in town.

Doc's Sports: The No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats have been favored in every game they have played this season and they should be favored in their remaining 10 games of the regular season in the SEC. Do you think that this team can run the table all the way to a national title this year?

RE: It is hard to see the Wildcats getting tripped up in the regular season and even the SEC Tournament, although they could still have their hands full in upcoming road games at Florida and LSU. That being said, I am not about to hand Kentucky the national title that quickly with teams such as Gonzaga, Virginia, Duke and Wisconsin still standing in the way.

Doc's Sports : Last week in your blog, Straight Bet Talk, you posted a free a pick for soccer by Jonathan Young for a match between Southampton and Swansea in the English Premier League. Will you be adding any free picks of your own for soccer in the coming weeks?

RE: I will usually put soccer on the back-burner this time of year unless an English Premier League matchup really catches my eye. I will probably refocus my energy on this sport in the summer months, especially in light of this year's Woman's World Cup.

Doc's Sports: You followed up a highly-successful selection package for this year's Golden Globe Awards with a few interesting prop bet picks for last Sunday's Super Bowl. Will you be releasing any picks on your blog for this Sunday's Grammy Awards as part of an ongoing run in the field of entertainment?

RE: The one thing that usually holds true about the Grammy Awards is that they tend to go pretty much chalk. I will be posting my picks on the blog a bit later in the week as I continue to search for a few value picks that have a chance to pull off the upset.

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.