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


by Docsports.com - 12/4/2018

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson

Doc's Sports Service has been providing avid sports bettors with winning selections for all the major sports for close to five decades with the help of an in-house team of expert handicappers. We have also established long-standing relationships with some of the best national expert handicappers as a way to round-out our selection service. One of the 'best of the best' in this elite group is Raphael Esparza . He worked his way up the list during a long and successful career in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry. That career culminated with a prestigious stint as the Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Resorts' Aria until his retirement in 2013.

Working out of his home base in Las Vegas as well as from the Big Easy in New Orleans, the former Vegas Sports Informer offers a wide array of sports betting options to help grow and expand your overall return on investment when it comes to betting on the games. Doc's has the unique pleasure to chat with Raphael on a weekly basis to discuss some the hottest trending betting topics in the world of sports.

Doc's: Things are getting serious in the NFL over the final four weeks of games when it comes to this season's playoffs. Looking at the betting board for Week 14, can you give us one favorite to go with and one to go against in relation to the actual betting spreads?

RE: Right off the bat, I would go with Houston laying only 4.5 points at home against the Indianapolis Colts, who were just shutout by Jacksonville. I had this line as high as six before it was first released. I might be tempted to go against Green Bay at home as a six-point favorite given all the turmoil with the Packers right now. Atlanta is struggling as well, but six points is a big number to cover.

Doc's: The pairings for this year's College Football Playoff semifinal matchups on Dec. 29 have been set. Notre Dame opened as an 11-point underdog against the Clemson Tigers. Which direction do you see this spread moving in the coming weeks?

RE: I think this game will have some good two-way action leading up to kickoff on Dec. 29. You could see more public money on Notre Dame to possibly drive it down to 10 points, but I am waiting to see how the wise guys decide to bet this game.

Doc's: Alabama has been opened as a 14-point favorite against Oklahoma in the other CFP semifinal game. Where is the early value in this line; with the Tide or with the Sooners?

RE: Honestly, I think this number is on point and it should remain at 14 over the course of the next few weeks leading up to this game. I do question 79 points for the total as being a bit too high. I think this will be more of a defensive battle than most bettors expect.

Doc's: You once mentioned that any team in any sport that covers the closing spread three games in a row is going to catch your attention as a team to possibly go with its next time out. Does the same betting strategy apply to a team failing to cover in three-straight games as a good candidate to go against in its next game?

RE: There are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to going against teams on a losing streak since it all depends on the actual matchup you are betting on. I generally stay away from going against bad teams such as the Oakland Raiders given the unpredictability in their play.

Doc's: Last week we talked about the recent heavyweight bout in boxing between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder that ended in a draw. Taking a page from the original Rocky movie, will boxing fans get the rematch they are looking for, and how long will it take for that fight to come together?

RE: The rematch will take place, but probably not as soon as everyone is hoping for. Both fighters took a beating, and Wilder does have an arm injury that could take some time to heal. If I had to make an educated guess, I would say late summer/ early fall of next year. The book at the Las Vegas Hilton had Fury listed as a -120 favorite, but right now I would give the slight edge to Wilder in the rematch.

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 do not even have to enter credit card information. You can use this $60 credit for any sports Esparza handicaps. Click here for $60 worth of free picks from Raphael Esparza.

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