Weekly Q&A with Doc's Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza 7/5/2016

by Doc's Sports - 7/5/2016

MLB is the hottest ticket in town right now as far as betting on the games, so in this week's discussion with Doc's Sports expert handicapper Raphael Esparza we will pick his brain on some solid betting tips for baseball heading into the second half of the regular season.

Raphael earned his reputation as one of the top sports handicappers in the nation during a long and successful career in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry. 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 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: In one of the biggest free agent moves in the NBA since LeBron James returned to Cleveland, how do you see Kevin Durant's recent decision to leave Oklahoma City for Golden State impacting the current balance of power in the Western Conference?

RE: Golden State will naturally become a heavy favorite to win the West again, but there has to be some concerns with team depth in light of what it had to give up to pull off this move. Team chemistry could also be an issue early in the season, so I do not see the Warriors winning 70-plus games next year. The interesting thing will be to see what happens with Russell Westbrook in OKC given the loss of Durant coupled with the fact that he is in the last year of his contract.

Doc's Sports: When it comes to betting on soccer, Euro 2016 is down to just four teams starting with Wednesday's Portugal vs. Wales semifinals match. Most of the sportsbooks have Portugal listed as a slight favorite, but either way this should be a very close contest. Which team do you think has the best shot at advancing to the championship?

RE: Wales has been flying pretty low under the radar in this tournament, and I think they could be a good position to get past a Portugal team that has struggled with consistency at times. The top play in this match could be the "over" at two goals.

Doc's Sports : The other semifinal match in this soccer tournament between Germany and France on Thursday is another tight matchup with the sportsbooks. Right now Germany has the slight edge against the host country on the moneyline odds. So, which way are you leaning in this one?

RE: I am concerned about the overall health of Germany coming into this game since they are a bit banged up. I would have to lean towards France if I were to bet on a side just because of the home-field advantage, but once again I like the "over" in this match.

Doc's Sports : The MLB regular season is rapidly closing in on the halfway point with next week's all-star break. Can you give us one or two betting tips to keep in mind when betting on the games from here on in?

RE: Trades are a crucial aspect of handicapping baseball this time of the year. You should even take into account trade rumors as they have a way of motivating a good team to play even better. Contenders this time of the year have the tendency to push themselves to win a few extra games leading up to the MLB trade deadline in an effort to convince their front office to pull the trigger on some moves that will fill any pressing needs.

Doc's Sports: Looking at golf's power foursome of Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson, which one of these young guns has the best chance to win this year's Open Championship starting next week at Royal Troon Golf Club?

RE : Weather is the No. 1 factor in the British Open, making it an extremely difficult tournament to predict. Even the best golfers in the world will struggle in the wind and the rain if that turns out to be the case. If I had to go with one of the four it would probably be Dustin Johnson considering just how hot he has been over the past few weeks.

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 .

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