Weekly Q&A with Doc's Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza 2/7/2017

by Doc's Sports - 2/7/2017

New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady

We just witnessed one of the wildest Super Bowls in the history of the NFL. However, it's a brand new week of sports betting at Doc's Sports, so we will get expert handicapper Raphael Esparza to weigh in on everything from college basketball to MMA fighting in this week's discussion.

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. 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: Last week leading up to Super Bowl LI, you mentioned that the public's money was going towards Atlanta while some of the wiseguys in town were all over New England. Given what actually happened in Sunday's Super Bowl, which is still somewhat hard to believe, who were the big winners in Las Vegas when all the smoke finally cleared?

RE: The money continued to pour in on Atlanta and the "under," making Sunday a really big day for the books. I heard there were a few seven-figure gains in town, and just about every book came out on top.

Doc's Sports: With football season officially over, much of the betting public's focus will now shift to college basketball leading up to another month of madness this March. From what you have seen so far this season, can you give us your personal list for the top five teams in the nation?

RE: I would have to go with Gonzaga as the consensus No. 1 team in the country. After that, I would probably go with Villanova at No. 2 followed closely by Oregon at 2A. The Ducks'victory at home last week against Arizona cements this team as a legitimate national title contender in my book. The final two spots would be a toss up between the following four teams; Kansas, Louisville, Wisconsin and Arizona.

Doc's Sports : Speaking of the No.1-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs at 24-0, do they have what it takes to complete an unprecedented undefeated run to a national title?

RE: Everything I have seen from this team starting with a strong run through the nonconference portion of its schedule tells me that Gonzaga does have what it takes to win a national title. However, I am not sure that I would bet on the Bulldogs going all the way, especially with an undefeated record. Basketball in March can be very fickle with underdogs poised to pull off a major upset at almost every turn.

Doc's Sports : UFC 208 this Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn could reshape the future of the woman's MMA fighting scene that was previously dominated by Ronda Rousey with a featherweight title bout between Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie. Holm has been listed as the slight favorite despite a two-fight losing streak. So, how do you see this one playing out.

RE: I am not sold on Holm as a favorite in this fight given what she has done since beating Rousey a few years back. She could end up being the "Buster Douglas" of the UFC with a third straight loss on Saturday night. UFC in general is getting tougher and tougher to handicap with favorites going down on a regular basis. This Saturday night's fight with Holm is one that I will most likely sit back and watch unless there is some significant movement in the current odds.

Doc's Sports: You have had both boxing and MMA fighting on your betting radar the past few weeks. Is there anything else coming up this week that has caught your interest as a slightly "off-the-grid" betting event?

RE : With all my crazy Super Bowl props in the books, I am getting ready to turn my attention to this year's Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26. This is one of my biggest betting events of the year in the field of entertainment, so it could take the next few weeks to finalize my official selections. As an early pick, I would have to go chalk with Casey Affleck to win Best Actor for 'Manchester by the Sea'.

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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