Weekly Q&A with Doc's Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza 2/21/2017

by Doc's Sports - 2/21/2017

Racing moves to top of the list in this week's discussion with Doc's Sports expert handicapper Raphael Esparza , starting with a key Kentucky Derby prep race at Fair Grounds this Saturday and moving on to NASCAR for Sunday's Daytona 500. We will also try and pin Raphael down on his top-unit play for Sunday night's Oscars.

Once known as the Vegas Sports Informer during a long and successful career in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry, Raphael held the prestigious position as the Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria while also climbing his way to the top of the list as one of the best sports handicappers in the nation. He retired from the sportsbook industry in 2013, so these days he can be found 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: It is no big secret that you are a big fan of the Pac-12 when it comes to college basketball, and this has been one of the best seasons in recent memory with three teams ranked in the top 10 of both major national polls. You have been leaning towards No.6 Oregon all season long as the top team in the conference over both No. 5 UCLA and No. 4 Arizona, so are you sticking with the Ducks heading into the final few weeks of the regular season?

RE: Oregon has a clear path to winning the regular-season title with a huge win in hand against Arizona given each team's remaining schedule. I also like the Ducks' chances to go deep in both the conference tournament as well as the NCAA Tournament. I still believe that they could easily end up being the last team standing in the Pac-12 in late March and maybe even early April.

Doc's Sports: NASCAR may not be one of your top sports when it comes handicapping, but do you have any thoughts on which driver you would bet on to win this Sunday's Daytona 500?

RE: It is tough to pick an outright winner in any NASCAR race, let alone the biggest one of the season. My betting strategy for this race is to look for some favorable head-to-head matchups with both Denny Hamlin as last year's Daytona 500 winner and Jimmie Johnson as last year's NASCAR Champion.

Doc's Sports: Last week we talked about this Saturday's Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds as the first Kentucky Derby prep race on your radar screen when it comes to making an initial assessment of this year's crop of three-year old contenders. Mo Town should go off as the morning line favorite. However, are there a couple of other entries that have caught your eye?

RE: This should be a great field with a number of solid picks down to four or even five horses. I have my eye on both Girvin and Guest Suite given their value as probable third or fourth favorites when the odds do get posted. Local Hero should also be in the mix with Mo Town, and my inside sources in New Orleans have given high grades to Shareholder Value at longer odds.

Doc's Sports : Everyone knows that you are one of the top handicappers out there when it comes to picking winners for the Oscars given just how big a movie buff you are. We know that you have already made you picks for this Sunday night's awards . So, if you were going to release a high-unit play for one of the award categories, what would it be?

RE: I would have to go with Casey Affleck for Best Actor in Manchester by the Sea at -220 odds. I believe that some late money on second-favorite Denzel Washington (+110) could lower that number a bit, which would make that pick all the more attractive.

Doc's Sports: There is definitely a great variety of betting events this weekend from horses to Oscars. Is there anything else right now on your betting radar that might also be a bit removed from the typical mainstream sports bets?

RE : This weekend is definitely a full plate for me since I am in New Orleans for Saturday's race at Fair Grounds. I do have some interest in a few boxing matches on Saturday, including a heavyweight bout between Deontay Wilder as a huge favorite over Gerald Washington, but to me this weekend is all about betting on horses and betting on the Oscars.

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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