Weekly Q&A with Doc's Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza 9/6/2016

by Doc's Sports - 9/6/2016

Football is back at Doc's Sports in full force with the both the college ranks and the NFL in action this week. In this week's discussion with expert handicapper Raphael Esparza, we will get his insight into a couple of hot trending topics surrounding some of the biggest matchups on the schedule.

Previously known as the Vegas Sports Informer during a long and successful career in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry, Raphael rose through the ranks to become the Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria while earning a reputation as one of the top sports handicappers in the nation. He retired from Aria in 2013, but he continues to run a successful and diverse sports investment service from his home base in Las Vegas as well as 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: A new season of college football got underway last week, and we have already seen the Big 12's Oklahoma Sooners and the SEC's LSU Tigers lose as two of the top-ranked teams in the national preseason polls. What was your biggest takeaway from Week 1 in college football?

RE: Both Oklahoma and LSU losing in Week 1 is big news, but that is mainly because of how over-hyped each team was this offseason. The reality is that neither game was a huge upset given their actual opponent and the neutral venue where the games were played. By far, the biggest shocker in Week 1 was South Alabama over Mississippi State as a 29-point road underdog.

Doc's Sports: Turning to this Saturday in college football, while there are no really big matchups between ranked teams on the schedule, would you put any other top-ranked team on upset alert?

RE: I would keep an eye on Arkansas as a touchdown underdog on the road against TCU as a possible straight up upset, and I actually like Tulsa's chances to cover against Ohio State as a heavy 29-point road underdog. Another SU upset that could be in the works this week is BYU taking down Utah as a three-point underdog on the road.

Doc's Sports : Thursday night's Carolina at Denver game kicks off another season in the NFL as a rematch of last season's Super Bowl. The Panthers are once again favored to win, so do you see them successfully avenging last February's loss to the Broncos at Mile High?

RE: I will probably not have a play on this game, but I would lean towards Carolina getting the SU win. The thing I am most interested in is the quarterback situation in Denver. I believe we are going to see both Trevor Siemian and rookie Paxton Lynch take snaps in this game as the Broncos try and figure out which way to go.

Doc's Sports : Looking ahead to Sunday's Week 1 NFL slate, can you give us one or two upset specials that could be in the works?

RE: I am not sure this would qualify as an upset pick, but the one game that has really caught my attention is Oakland on the road against New Orleans as a slight one-point underdog. I am interested to see if the Raiders are really as good as everyone is making them out to be, and I am also interested to see if the Saints are really as bad as they looked in the preseason.

Doc's Sports: Switching gears a bit to MMA, what are your thoughts on this Saturday's heavyweight bout between the champion Stipe Miocic and Alistair Overreem in UFC 203?

RE : This should be a really good fight given the punching power of the champ, but the bout itself could be overshadowed by the UFC debut of WWE star CM Punk in another example of the collaboration that is going on between these two organizations. As for the Miocic fight itself, he will be under quite a bit of pressure in front of the home-town crowd in Cleveland in his first title defense.

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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