Weekly Q&A with Doc's Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza 5/10/2016

by Doc's Sports - 5/10/2016

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta

We all know what a huge boxing fan Doc's Sports expert handicapper Raphael Esparza is, so in this week's discussion we will get his take on Canelo Alvarez's big knockout victory over Amir Khan this past Saturday as well as what might be next for the middleweight champ.

Raphael earned his title as the Vegas Sports Informer during a long and successful career in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry. At one point during this impressive run he held the prestigious position of Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria until his retirement in 2013. Since then, he has been splitting his time between Las Vegas and the Big Easy in New Orleans running a successful and diverse sports investment service. The following is this week's Q&A with one of Doc's most interesting handicappers.

Doc's Sports: The Cleveland Cavaliers have been tearing things up in the NBA's Eastern Conference Playoffs, but would you risk a futures bet on LeBron and Co. to actually go all the way this year?

RE: There is a big difference between rolling over the likes of Detroit and Atlanta as opposed to facing a team like Golden State or even San Antonio. I like the Cavaliers' chance to get back to the NBA Finals, but the ride will once again end there.

Doc's Sports: The NHL's Western Conference will feature two winner-take-all Game 7 showdowns later this week in the semifinal round of that league's playoffs. Looking ahead, which two teams do you have coming out on top to meet in the conference finals?

RE: Home-ice has held up in the first six games of the Nashville vs. San Jose series, and I do like the Sharks' chances to advance with a fourth-and-deciding win at home this Thursday night. Dallas has all the momentum in the world after jumping on St. Louis early in Game 6 to even that series at three games apiece, but I am not sold on the fact that the Stars will be able to close things out on their home ice against a very good Blues' team this Wednesday night.

Doc's Sports : Your home town of Chicago is a hotbed of excitement in the early going of the new MLB season with the Cubs and the White Sox boasting the two best records in each league. While there is still a very long way to go, can you envision a Crosstown Classic in the MLB's 2016 Fall Classic?

RE: The Cubs are built for the long haul this season as long as their starting rotation can stay healthy, but I am not all that sure that the White Sox are built for the same kind of ride. They are going to need bring in some extra pitching help at some point of the season to try and maintain the hot pace out of the gate. That being said, the American League appears to be a wide-open race through the early part of the season, so anything can still happen between now and October.

Doc's Sports : It is no big surprise that Canelo Alvarez beat Amir Khan this past Saturday night as a solid favorite, but he definitely made a strong statement with how he won. In your opinion, how long are boxing fans (and bettors) going to have to wait to see a bout between Alvarez and Gennady (Triple G) Golovkin come together?

RE: I was able to cash in a ticket on Alvarez's KO, but I was kind of shocked with a slow start that had him behind on my card after the first two rounds. As far as what's next for Canelo, it's still up in the air. There are some major issues concerning fighting weight and percent of the draw that could end up being huge sticking points to a proposed bout with GGG, but the boxing world knows this matchup would be huge for the sport. These promoters do not want to repeat the same mistakes they made when it came to getting Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in the same ring, so it is still possible we could see this fight come together for next May.

Doc's Sports: We waited 17 years to see another three-year-old thoroughbred win the Triple Crown with American Pharoah's amazing run to sports most elusive title in 2015. While horse racing fans may be getting a bit ahead of themselves with this year's Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist as a Triple Crown threat, how would you assess his chances to pull off the same feat with a wins in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes?

RE : Right now my prediction is that the added length of the Belmont will once again be the undoing of another Triple Crown threat. Nyquist is a quality race horse, and I would probably take him in the Preakness despite the fact that there could be up to nine fresh horses in that race. However, I do not see him having the endurance and strength to hold off all the other contenders in the longer and much more grueling third leg of this race series.

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 .

Start:	November 23, 2024 @ 3:30 PM
Expert:	Scott Spreitzer
Free $60 Account Sign Up

Most Recent Weekly Sports Betting and Handicapping