Weekly Q&A with Doc's Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza 5/30/2017

by Doc's Sports - 5/30/2017

Both the NBA Finals and the NHL's Stanley Cup Finals remain top of mind with sports bettors heading into the final few days of May, but one of our burning questions this week for Doc's Sports expert handicapper Raphael Esparza is his "best bet" play in his recent article on Doc's blog covering the futures odds for the next Star Wars movie, which is expected to be released towards the end of this year.

Raphael first made a name for himself as one of the nation's top sports handicappers when he was known as the Vegas Sports Informer during long and successful career in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry that culminated with him holding the prestigious position of Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria. He retired from the sportsbook industry in 2013 to devote all of his time 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: Does the fact that Cleveland and Golden State are playing in their third straight NBA Finals against one another lead you to believe that this year's series as the rubber match will generate a much bigger handle with the Las Vegas sportsbooks then the first two meetings did?

RE: I really do not think it matters which two teams would have played in this year's NBA Finals given the way the betting public has been hammering the Las Vegas books this postseason with favorites and overs. The overall handle is already set up to be a big number, and the fact that it is Cleveland vs. Golden State Round 3 only adds to the betting public's excitement about winning even more money in the next few weeks.

Doc's Sports: One of the more interesting player props released by BetOnline in conjunction with this season's NBA Finals is which player will be the first to post 100 points. Cleveland's LeBron James is a +175 favorite on the board followed by Golden State's Stephen Curry (+300) and Kevin Durant (+350). Of the three, which player would you bet on to hit the century mark in points scored first in this series?

RE: I would go with the higher value in Durant's +350 betting odds in this prop. His main reason for leaving Oklahoma City for Golden State was to play on the NBA's biggest stage and come away with a world title. I fully expect him to put up some big numbers, especially in the first two games at home.

Doc's Sports: Nashville clearly outplayed Pittsburgh in a 5-3 loss in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday night after a few early mistakes put the Predators in a 3-0 hole heading into the second period. Do you like their chances to get out of Pittsburgh with a split by winning Game 2 on Wednesday night or can the Penguins increase their series lead with a pair of wins at home?

RE: With the exception of the final few minutes in both the first and third periods of Game 1, Nashville was undoubtedly the better team of the two by a pretty wide margin. Any road team in any championship series is simply looking to split the first two games of a best-of-seven affair and I like the Predators' chances to get that win this time around in Game 2.

Doc's Sports : You covered the futures odds for a number of burning issues in the new Star Wars movie 'The Last Jedi' in a recent pop culture betting piece you put together for Doc's. Can you give our readers your top unit play on the board for these picks?

RE: I would go with a big unit play on Star Wars: The Last Jedi at -250 betting odds having a bigger opening weekend dollar wise in the US than the $155.1 million that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (+210) took in when it was first released. There is bigger star power and far more intrigue in the upcoming Star Wars movie with Luke Skywalker back in the mix as one of the main characters.

Doc's Sports: While the NBA and NHL Finals top the list of sports betting options this week along with a regular schedule of MLB games, is there anything else on your betting radar right now for anyone that might be looking for something different to bet on?

RE : I have also turned my attention the upcoming 2017 NCAA Baseball Tournament, which gets underway with regional play later this week. There are a number of teams that have a legitimate shot at making a run towards earning a spot in the College World Series at the end of June. One of the most interesting regions on the board is out in Lubbock, Texas, with teams such as Texas Tech, Delaware and Arizona in the field.

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 .

Start:	November 23, 2024 @ 10:07 PM
Expert:	Vernon Croy
Free $60 Account Sign Up

Most Recent Weekly Sports Betting and Handicapping