Weekly Q&A with Doc's Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza 4/18/2017

by Doc's Sports - 4/18/2017

The opening round of both the NBA and NHL playoffs is well underway, and there have already been some surprising developments that could have a big impact on the entire postseason picture for both of these sports. In this week's discussion with Doc's Sports expert handicapper Raphael Esparza , we will have him weigh in with his take on some of these early results.

During a long and successful career in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry, Raphael rose through the ranks to become one of the top sports handicappers in the nation. Once known in Las Vegas betting circles as the Vegas Sports Informer, at the peak of his career he held the prestigious position as the Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria. Since his retirement from the sportsbook industry in 2013, 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: Tuesday night's NBA playoff schedule features three home favorites that stumbled out of the gate with a straight up loss in Game 1 of their opening-round playoffs series. Of the three (Toronto, Boston and Los Angeles), which team needs a victory in Game 2 the most?

RE: Boston's situation in Game 1 with Isaiah Thomas's family tragedy was a unique circumstance, and I happen to think that Milwaukee is going to end up winning its series against Toronto behind a smothering defense. The team with the most to lose with another loss on Tuesday night would have to be the Clippers. The pressure has really be dialed up on this team given the star power on the roster, so even a tight win in Game 2 will probably draw some more criticism from the fans and the media in Los Angeles.

Doc's Sports: The Chicago Blackhawks started the postseason as the clear favorite to represent the Western Conference in this season's NHL Stanley Cup Finals. They suddenly find themselves down 3-0 against Nashville in their best-of-seven opening round series heading into Thursday's Game 4. Is this series over or can the Blackhawks find a way to rally with four-straight wins?

RE: After blowing a two-goal lead in the third period of Game 3, I would not be surprised to see Chicago get swept in this series. The Blackhawks have only really played on solid period in the first three games of this series, and right now Nashville really has their number.

Doc's Sports: The Washington Capitals' past failures in the early rounds of the playoffs appear to be haunting them again in the opening round with a 2-1 deficit against Toronto heading into Wednesday's Game 4. Are the favorites to win it all in the East in trouble as well or do you have Washington getting past the pesky Maple Leafs in this best-of-seven matchup?

RE: The Capitals were lucky to escape Game 1 with a win. In the same vein as Chicago, they appear to be completely out of sync and outmatched by their opponent. Monday's overtime win swings all the momentum in the Maple Leafs' favor, and I think they take full advantage of the situation by eliminating this conference's top seed in five or six games.

Doc's Sports : Classic Empire reestablished himself as one of the top three-year-old contenders to win next month's Kentucky Derby with his impressive victory in this past Saturday's Arkansas Derby. Would he be your early favorite for this year's "Run for the Roses" at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 6?

RE: I had this horse finishing in the money at Oaklawn last Saturday, but not winning the race. He really impressed me with his closing speed, and I would have to list him as my early favorite for the Kentucky Derby. The best thing about this year's race is that there are probably three, maybe even four, horses that have the ability to win.

Doc's Sports: We know that you are always on the lookout for betting value in events that may be a bit 'off the grid' for the average sports bettor. Is there anything coming up this week that may have caught the attention of your betting radar?

RE : I am turning my attention to boxing and MMA fighting this weekend with a number of great matchups on the card in both sports. At the top of my list would be UFC Fight Night 108 on Saturday featuring a headliner matchup between Cub Swanson and Artem Lobov. Swanson is a heavy favorite, but there is some value in Lobov's current +420 odds.

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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