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


by Doc's Sports - 12/26/2017

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts

The current year closes things out with the last round of NFL games in the 2017 regular season scheduled for New Year's Eve, while the quest for this year's national title in college football gets underway on New Year's Day with the two College Football Playoff semifinal matchups in the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. In this week's discussion with Doc's Sports expert handicapper Raphael Esparza , we will get his betting insights for this unique two-day stretch of games

Known in sports betting circles as the Vegas Sports Informer during a long and successful career in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry, Raphael became one of the most trusted sports betting authorities in the nation. He decided to retire from his highly-prestigious position as the Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria in 2013 to focus all of his energy on sports handicapping. 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: While many of the NFL games on Sunday's Week 17 schedule will have little or no bearing on the upcoming playoffs, there are a few matchups that will impact the actual pairings in the Wild Card Round in both the AFC and the NFC. Is there any one NFL game this Sunday that has caught your betting interest?

RE: The playoff picture in the NFC South adds quite a bit of intrigue to Sunday's New Orleans at Tampa Bay game and especially in a huge showdown between Carolina and Atlanta. The Saints should be able to take care of business on the road, but the Bucs have played the other two teams in this division pretty tough lately. Carolina is a 3.5-point underdog on the road, but I am not sold on Atlanta coming away with even the straight up victory in this matchup.

Doc's Sports: The first CFP semifinal on New Year's Day in the Rose Bowl is a SEC/Big 12 clash between two teams that have never faced one another before. The Georgia Bulldogs are now slight two-point favorites against the Oklahoma Sooners, but which of these football powers is your pick to win?

RE: Georgia has the power running game and the shutdown defense, but the Bulldogs are a bit too touted right now coming out of the over-hyped SEC. I am going with the Sooners and a hot quarterback in Baker Mayfield that knows just how high his NFL stock would rise with a big game this upcoming Monday.

Doc's Sports: The other CFP semifinal in the Sugar Bowl is the rubber match between the ACC's Clemson Tigers and the SEC's Alabama Crimson Tide, with each team winning once in two previous postseason showdowns over the past two years. Alabama gets the edge this time around as a three-point favorite, but are the Tide moving on the national title game?

RE: Alabama is still the better overall team in this four-team tournament in my book, and it has the added incentive of playing with a chip on its shoulder after that loss to Auburn. I believe the Tide are out to prove they are the best, starting with a victory on New Year's Day to avenge last year's loss to Clemson.

Doc's Sports : The start of conference play in college basketball is always a great time of the year for sports bettors. With head-to-head action in the Pac-12 tipping off in the next few days, which team in one of your favorite conferences has the best shot at winning the regular-season title?

RE: Arizona's unexpected slow start is quickly becoming a faded memory with much better play in recent games, but I still have the Arizona State Sun Devils as my top team to beat in the Pac-12 during the regular season. They are the most balanced team in this conference at both ends of the court, and I am not sure there is another contender that can run with the Sun Devils when they are at their best.

Doc's Sports: Every top-contending juvenile thoroughbred turns three on New Year's Day to kick off the 2018 Kentucky Derby Trail. We all know what a big horse racing fan you are, so can you give us one or two colts that would be at the top of your list as a legitimate early contender to win next year's Kentucky Derby?

RE : I have my eye on a trio of colts when it comes to the start of the prep race season for the 2018 Kentucky Derby, starting with Arrival and Alien Invasion given my background as a big Sci-Fi fan. Both have a long way go to become serious contenders based on their futures odds to win, but they are also flying way below the national radar right now. The other third three-year-old I would add to the list would be Beautiful Shot, who has been impressive in limited action as a juvenile.

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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