Weekly Q&A with Doc's Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza 12/27/2016

by Doc's Sports - 12/27/2016

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers

The highlight of this season's college bowl schedule is the two matchups in the College Football Playoff semifinals on New Year's Eve. In this week's discussion with Doc's Sports expert handicapper Raphael Esparza, we will get his take on how he sees both of these showdowns playing out.

During his days as the Vegas Sports Informer, Raphael also made a name for himself during a long and successful career in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry that led to him being named the Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria until his retirement in 2013. He continues to make a name for himself running a successful and diverse sports investment service from his home base in Las Vegas as well as from the Big Easy in New Orleans. The following is this week's Q&A with one of Doc's most interesting handicappers.

Doc's Sports: We are heading into the final round of games in the NFL regular season and over the past several weeks the betting public has been cleaning up against the sportsbooks in Las Vegas. Most of the heavily-bet NFL favorites came through again in Week 16, but what was the final tally between the bettors and the books over the Christmas Holiday?

RE: The Las Vegas sportsbooks got an early Christmas present with Philadelphia upsetting New York, and things continued to fall in their favor with teams such as Pittsburgh and Houston failing to cover this past Saturday. Most of the books that I talked to in town said this ended an eight- or nine-week losing streak in the NFL.

Doc's Sports: The biggest showdown on the Week 17 schedule in the NFL is a battle for the NFC North Division title between Green Bay and Detroit. The Packers have momentum on their side as road favorites riding a five-game winning streak, but is there any life left in a Lions' team that appeared to be a lock to win that division just a few weeks back?

RE: This game is the Packers to lose in my opinion. Aaron Rodgers continues to play at a very high level and I just cannot see Detroit bouncing back from such a bad loss on a short week to keep Green Bay from winning the division.

Doc's Sports : Alabama is a heavy double-digit favorite over Washington heading into this Saturday's first semifinal matchup in the 2016 College Football Playoff. At the end of the regular season you liked the Huskies' chances to cover in this game. So, are you still leaning that way now?

RE: I loved the Huskies when the spread for this game opened at 16.5 points, and even though it is now down to 14 points with most books I would still lean towards Washington. I just cannot help but think that Alabama could get caught looking past this game, which adds quite a bit of value to a very good Huskies' team as two-touchdown underdogs.

Doc's Sports : The second semifinal game favors Ohio State over Clemson. Both of these teams survived numerous close calls down the stretch to even make it into this year's CFP final four. However, which team in your book survives one more time to play for the national title?

RE: I continue to flip back and forth on this one. While today I am leaning slightly towards Clemson, that feeling could easily swing the other way by the time Saturday rolls around. This will probably remain a game that I just sit back and watch as one of the top matchups of the entire bowl season.

Doc's Sports: As the 2016 sports betting calendar draws to a close, is there anything else on this week's betting board that has caught your eye as a great opportunity to cash in on one last ticket?

RE : I am really excited for Friday's UFC 207 and the long awaited return of Ronda Rousey to the ring against Amanda Nunes. This entire MMA fight card should be a good to close out the year. Right now, I see some great value in Rousey as a -140 favorite in what I am hoping will be a return to her dominant fighting form.

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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