Weekly Q&A with Doc's Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza 6/20/2017

by Doc's Sports - 6/20/2017

It is a mixed bag of betting action this week at Doc's Sports from the ongoing College World Series to the ever-changing odds for one of boxing's biggest upcoming bouts in recent memory. Throw in the 2017 NBA Draft and the start of the CFL regular season, and we will try and make sense of it all from a betting standpoint with the help of Doc's expert handicapper Raphael Esparza .

Raphael honed his craft as one of the top sports handicappers in the nation during a long and successful career in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry. At the peak of his career, the former Vegas Sports Informer held the prestigious position as the Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria until his retirement from the sportsbook industry in 2013. These days, he continues to split 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: With your help, we have been closely following the 2017 College World Series. As we get closer to next week's championship round, do you have any team left in this tournament derailing Oregon State's run to a title in the wake of the Beavers' current 23-game winning streak?

RE: The way that Oregon State has been winning games makes this current run in the College World Series all the more impressive, especially last night's 13-1 romp against LSU. I do believe that this is the Beavers' tournament to lose, but I am also interested to see if Louisville can find a way to make it into the championship round as one of the more interesting teams left in the field

Doc's Sports: Later this week, the NBA will hold its annual draft for the top college prospects in the nation along with a few international players looking to land a spot in the league. In light of some of the betting props that have been released in conjunction with the proceedings from the Barclay Center in Brooklyn on Thursday night, do you have any bold predictions that you would like to share?

RE: I did not dig all that deep into the props for the NBA Draft, but I do like the "under 3.5" for Duke players taken in the first round and I also like Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball and Josh Jackson going in the first three picks. The more interesting props yet to be released are the ones for where some of the veteran NBA stars may be playing next season.

Doc's Sports: You will be releasing a special CFL "free play" for Doc's later this week, but do you have any general betting tips for trying to cash in on the first week of the 2017 CFL regular season starting this Thursday night?

RE: If you like a CFL betting line or total line when it is first released then bet it right away. The lines in this league tend to have quite a bit of movement given that a bet as small as $500 could have an impact on a book's betting odds. Another tip is to ride the under on the total line for teams that are playing solid defense right out of the gate. Montreal hosting Saskatchewan could fit the mold in Week 1.

Doc's Sports : The long-awaited crossover bout between boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. and UFC star Conor McGregor has finally been set for Aug. 26. Mayweather remains a heavy favorite to win, but it appears that quite a bit of early money has come in on McGregor. What's your take on this fight when it comes to the current betting odds?

RE: In conjunction with a prop bet article I just wrote for Doc's , I am a bit surprised to see the early money coming in on McGregor. My guess is that the majority of the bets are small-money wagers designed to make the fight a bit more interesting and a lot more lucrative if there is an upset. I am only giving McGregor about a 10 percent chance to win, but with a hard-punching left hand anything can happen.

Doc's Sports: It is rivalry week in US soccer with a couple of big matchups on the board in MLS and there are some interesting series on tap when it comes to betting on MLB games. Is there anything else on this week's betting radar that has caught your eye?

RE : I am closely following international soccer's Confederation Cup in Russia. Some of the countries involved such as Mexico and Portugal have brought most of the A-list players, while a team like Germany is opting to give its younger players a chance to show what they can do. One betting tip would be the over three goals on the upcoming Mexico vs. New Zealand match this Wednesday.

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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