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Weekly Q&A with Doc's Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza

by Doc's Sports - 8/23/2016

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller

We are heading out west this week with Doc's Sports expert handicapper Raphael Esparza to get his take on a pair of college football conference title races in the Pac-12 and Mountain West while wrapping up our recent tour around all eight NFL 2016 division title races with a pair of final stops in the AFC and NFC West.

Raphael is no stranger to the West Coast sports scene given his extended career in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry. Along with being an expert handicapper, he also rose up the ranks to hold the prestigious position as the Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria until his retirement in 2013. Since then, he has been running a very successful and diverse sports investment service in Las Vegas while also spending some time much further east in the Big Easy of New Orleans. The following is this week's Q&A with one of Doc's most interesting handicappers.

Doc's Sports: The Pac-12 has always been one of your favorite college conferences to handicap. Turning to this year's football season, which two teams do you have emerging from the North and South Division to meet in this year's title game?

RE: The North Division could be more wide open than people expect with as many as four teams in the mix. I would lean towards Washington as the most complete team followed by Stanford, but do not go to sleep on Oregon or possibly even Washington State. I think UCLA is the team to beat in the South behind quarterback Josh Rosen. USC could also be in the mix, but I am going with the Bruins as my top pick in that division race.

Doc's Sports: The Mountain West is another conference that you follow closely given your locale in Las Vegas. Boise State is favored to win this year's title with most of the sportsbooks in town, with San Diego State next on the list. What is your early outlook for this conference and is there any other team waiting in the wings to make a move to the top?

RE: Boise State remains the cream of the crop in the Mountain West, and the Broncos will be licking their chops for that Nov. 25 Mountain Division rematch against Air Force following last year's loss. I like San Diego State to come out of the West Division as the top team, but one of my MWC insider picks would be the "over" on UNLV's projected win total of five games.

Doc's Sports : Denver is one of the few teams to win a Super Bowl and not even be favored to win its division the following season. How do you see things playing out in the AFC West Division title race this year?

RE: The Broncos still have a very potent defense. And if they can minimize the impact at the quarterback position by effectively running the ball, I believe they will win the AFC West again this year. The Raiders have not had a winning season since 2002, but if everything falls into place, they could actually get to nine wins this year.

Doc's Sports : It appears to once again be a two-team race to win the NFC West this season between Arizona and Seattle. The Cardinals are the defending division champs after going 13-3 last season, but the Seahawks are the clear favorite to win in 2016 with the books. Which team would you put at the top of your betting list to win this division race?

RE: I would probably lean towards the Seahawks to win this division in 2016, but the gap between them and the Cardinals is not as nearly as wide as some of the futures odds would suggest. If Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald can remain healthy and productive for an entire season, Arizona could reel off another 13-win campaign.

Doc's Sports: We all know what a big horse racing fan you are, and this Saturday at Saratoga is the running of the $1.25 million Travers Stakes for three-year olds. Looking at the probable field for this race, Exaggerator would be the likely favorite if he runs, but which entry has caught your eye as a top choice to win?

RE : Right off the top of my head without thoroughly handicapping the entire field, I would look at Gun Runner as a strong second favorite to win this race. The Travers is usually a wide-open event that offers a great opportunity to wheel a horse with longer odds into an exacta or trifecta bet. That is the primary direction I will head in when it comes time to actually bet on this race.

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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