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


by Doc's Sports - 10/24/2017

Saquon Barkley Penn State

This year's highly-anticipated matchup between the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 MLB Fall Classic kicks off a great week of sports betting that also includes a huge college football showdown in the Big Ten this Saturday followed by a full slate of NFL action in Week 8 of the season. We will take a look at all of these betting opportunities in closer detail in this week's discussion with Doc's Sports expert handicapper Raphael Esparza .

Once known in national betting circles as the Vegas Sports Informer, he 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, he held the prestigious position as the Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria until retiring in 2013. Since then, Raphael 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: The top two MLB teams this season are set to meet in a best-of-seven matchup in this year's World Series starting with Game 1 in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The Dodgers are listed as solid favorites when it comes to most of the series price odds in town, but does Houston have a chance to cash in a winning ticket on a series price bet as the underdog?

RE: For Houston to pull off the upset, it almost has to win one of the first two games on the road. The Astros are 2-4 on the road in the playoffs, including three straight losses to the New York Yankees with a combined five runs scored. In the end, I think that the Dodgers' edge with their bullpen proves to be the difference in a six- or seven-game series win.

Doc's Sports: We have been closely following the Big Ten this football season as Doc's home conference, and the rubber meets the road this Saturday with Penn State going on the road to face Ohio State as a six-point underdog with most books. You have been touting the Lions as the best all-around team in the Big Ten this season, so can they prove you right taking down the Buckeyes with a straight up win?

RE: The spread is already moving in Penn State's favor after opening higher than I expected. This is a huge game for the Lions, but I actually think that the pressure is dialed up even higher for Ohio State playing at home. The Buckeyes have yet to be really tested by a great team, and they have not even looked all that good against some of the lesser-talented teams they have faced. That being said, I would definitely take the Lions and the points.

Doc's Sports: It has been a solid run for underdogs covering against the spread through the first seven weeks of the NFL season. What kind of impact did last week's results have on the Las Vegas sportsbook's early gains this year against the betting public?

RE: Strictly going by the Las Vegas books that I talk to on a regular basis, I have them sitting at 7-0 against the betting public in NFL betting heading into this week's games. The overall gains in a few of those weeks, including Week 7, have been nothing to write home about, but at the end of the day these books are still taking in more money than they are paying out on the NFL this season

Doc's Sports : Philadelphia has established itself as the early team to beat in the NFC at 6-1 SU following Monday night's victory against NFC East rival Washington as a five-point home favorite. This Sunday, the Eagles play host to the 0-7 San Francisco 49ers as heavy double-digit favorites on most of the current betting lines. Does this present a good opportunity to go against the home team coming off a big win on a short week?

RE: Monday's win cost the Eagles their starting left tackle on offense and a starting linebacker on defense, which right off the bat is an immediate concern for this Sunday's game. To me, this is a wait-and-see game with a pointspread that could move even higher than it already has. If it were to reach two touchdowns, I just might pull the trigger on the 49ers.

Doc's Sports: We know you have been working on pop culture betting odds for some big upcoming movie premiers in the month of November as well as taking an early look at next weekend's Breeders' Cup at Del Mar. Is there anything else you would want to add to the plate for this week's betting options?

RE : With the movie piece already posted on Doc's blog last week , I have really dialed up my efforts on the upcoming Breeders' Cup at one of my favorite horse racing venues in the country. I am also working on expanding the current NCAAF futures odds for the next head football coach at Tennessee. Some original odds were posted, but I have added four more candidates that will be on the expanded list for one of the online sportsbooks I work with for its futures betting options.

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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