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


by Doc's Sports - 9/19/2017

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady

A new season of football is well underway, and Doc's Sports is off to a fast start with our brand new consensus selection service that offers some top plays utilizing our Unit Betting System . One of our top expert handicappers, Raphael Esparza , has also gotten a fast start out of the gate with his early-season football picks, and in this week's discussion we will get his inside take on some of the biggest trending topics heading into this week's games.

The former Vegas Sports Informer 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, Raphael held the prestigious position as the Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria until his retirement from that role in 2013. Since then 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: Right off the bat, we have to get your professional opinion on last Saturday night's draw between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin. What does this mean for boxing in terms of the next big betting bout you would expect to see?

RE: I had Golovkin ahead slightly on my card, but it does not shock me that this fight ended in a draw. I still think the one judge got it wrong with her actual score, but this fight could have been judged either way. Simply put, Triple G did not do enough to win it outright. The draw should set the stage for a rematch between the two next May. However, if this next fight does come together, look for it to take place somewhere other than Las Vegas.

Doc's Sports: Las Vegas sportsbooks took it on the chin last Sunday with the public going heavy on New England's big rebound against New Orleans. In light of all the results from Week 2 in the NFL, how did the books in town fare overall?

RE: The books gave quite a bit of money back to bettors on New England, but most of my sportsbook contacts in town still reported a slight gain for the week. The books won big on Atlanta on Sunday night and on Detroit in Monday night's contest.

Doc's Sports: Betting trends for the first two weeks of NFL games have favored the 'under' on the total line with a 61.3 winning percentage. In general, you previously talked about defense being ahead of offense early in a NFL season, so would you keep riding this trend towards lower scoring games into Week 3?

RE: There has to be some real concern among the top NFL executives over the start to this season. You still have your marquee teams such as New England, Pittsburgh and Atlanta putting some points on the board, but too many of the other teams in the league look like they are still stuck in the preseason. When it comes to teams such as Cincinnati, Houston and the New York Giants, I am still looking hard at the under in their games.

Doc's Sports : One of the more intriguing matchups in the Pac-12 this Saturday is between UCLA and Stanford. Both teams are coming off bad losses to Mid-Major programs, so which one bounces back this week with a victory in this crucial conference clash?

RE: This game is too close to call in my book, so I doubt I would have a play on a side. I do like the 'over' on the total with both teams capable of putting quite a few points on the board, but the actual outcome could easily come down to which team has the ball last.

Doc's Sports: Football may be at the top of the list for sports bettors right now, but what else do you have on your betting radar for this upcoming weekend?

RE : As you know, I am a big fight fan, so I am really looking forward to Friday's UFC Fight Night 117 from Japan as well as more boxing on HBO this Saturday. Also on my board is the start of the WNBA Finals this Sunday with Game 1 between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Minnesota Lynx.

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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