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


by Doc's Sports - 10/31/2017

Jose Altuve Houston Astros

It is a busy week in sports betting at Doc's Sports, starting with one of the best MLB World Series in recent memory. We will check in with expert handicapper Raphael Esparza to get his thoughts on the Los Angeles Dodgers' chances to come back from a 3-2 series deficit against Houston as heavy underdogs on the latest series price odds. This weekend's Breeders' Cup at Del Mar is also on the list, along with the top trending topics in college football and the NFL.

Raphael worked his way through the ranks to become one of the best sports handicappers in the nation during a long and highly successful career in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry. For years he was simply known as the Vegas Sports Informer while at the same time rising to the prestigious position of the Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria. He decided to retire from the sportsbook industry in 2013. However, these days he remains as busy as ever 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: The Dodgers went from strong favorites to win this year's World Series to heavy underdogs after going down 3-2 through the first five games. With two potential chances to still win it all at home over the next two games, what kind of betting value do you place on Los Angeles to win Games 6 and 7 at these much longer odds?

RE: I had the Dodgers winning it all before the series started, so I would definitely hedge my bets a bit with a play that they do go on to win these final two games. Houston has struggled on the road in the playoffs, and if Los Angeles does go on to force a Game 7, anything can happen from there.

Doc's Sports: The first College Football Playoff rankings will be released on Tuesday night heading into Week 10 of the season. If you had a vote on this committee, which four teams would be at the top of the list?

RE: My list would have Alabama at No. 1 followed closely by Georgia. Given the circumstances surrounding Clemson's loss to Syracuse with its quarterback going down early in that game, I would move the Tigers into the third slot. I have to go with Notre Dame at No. 4 based on how well this team played against USC and North Carolina State the past two weeks.

Doc's Sports: Turning to the NFL, both the favorites against the spread and the 'over' on the total line had an 8-5 edge in Week 8. Did these results finally allow the betting public in general to post a solid winning week against the books in town in what has been a losing cause for most of the season?

RE: It appeared to have been a mixed bag last week depending on which sportsbook I talked to. If I had to make a general assumption based on the results, I would say that the betting public did eke out a small gain. Dallas was a huge winner for the bettors, but the books were able to gain some money back with Sunday night's Pittsburgh vs. Detroit game staying 'under' the total.

Doc's Sports : The $6 million Classic is the Breeders' Cup most lucrative event of the 13 major graded stakes races on the two-day card at Del Mar this Friday and Saturday. The early betting odds point to a head-to-head matchup between 9/5 favorite Gun Runner against 2/1 second choice Arrogate. Of the two, which way are you leaning right now?

RE: I have always been a big fan of Gun Runner, but I am not sure I can get the value I am looking for in a head-to-head bet against Arrogate. Two other top contenders in this race would be West Coast and Collected, who have both been listed at 6/1 odds on the morning line. I believe that both of these horses offer some great head-to-head betting value depending on the actual odds I can get in any particular matchup.

Doc's Sports: As mentioned, there are a total of 13 Breeders' Cup races on the card at Del Mar with a combined prize purse of over $26 million. Can you give us one or two more races that are high on your betting list for this year's event?

RE : One of my favorite horses running this Saturday in the Breeders' Cup Mile is World Approval at 9/2 odds breaking from the No. 5 post. This is a strong field, but I still do not see one getting past this five-year old gelding in this event. Another top contender on my short list is in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Famed trainer Bob Baffert's Drefong has been set as a 5/2 favorite on the morning line coming out of the No. 2 gate in Saturday's 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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