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


by Doc's Sports - 2/6/2018

Philadelphia Eagles running back Jay Ajayi

It is going to be hard to top one of the best Super Bowls in the 52-year history on the NFL's biggest game, especially for Philadelphia bettors going with the "over" in that game, but it is time to move on to a whole new week of sports betting action with the help of Doc's Sports expert handicapper Raphael Esparza's excellent insight into a wide array of upcoming events.

Raphael rose through the ranks to become one of the best sports handicappers in the nation while at the same time enjoying a long and successful career in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry. Once known in national betting circles as the Vegas Sports Informer, he also held the prestigious position as the Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Grand's Aria until his retirement in 2013. He continues to split his time between his home base in 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: We know that the Las Vegas sportsbooks took a beating in one of the wildest Super Bowls ever, but where was most of the money lost, on the Eagles winning straight up or on the total going way "over" the closing line?

RE: Much of the Eagles' money that did come in late was on a moneyline bet, which contributed quite a bit to the overall loss at plus-money. However, another big hit was all the Philadelphia and over parlays, so I would have to say that the overall losses could be attributed equally to each result.

Doc's Sports: Despite Sunday's loss, New England has already been opened as the favorite on most NFL futures to win next season's Super Bowl. Is there any value in this bet given that a losing Super Bowl team has never gone on to win one the following season?

RE: All futures odds are set to protect the sportsbook's best interest, so they must be set low for a team like New England given all its past success. Unless you want to take a flyer on a long shot on the board, it is hard to gauge any kind of value in these initial Super Bowl LIII odds a full year out.

Doc's Sports: Now that football is done for the season, quite a bit of attention will shift to college basketball in terms of betting on the games leading up to March Madness. Can you give us one or two hot betting teams to go with right now?

RE: I really like Villanova as the top team in the nation. At 22-1 straight-up, the Wildcats still do not get the recognition they deserve for what they have accomplished so far on the court. Their record against the spread is just 15-7-1, but they have covered in their last five games closing as double-digit favorites, which is an impressive stat in my book. I also like Nevada out of the Mountain West, but you have to pick and choose your spots when betting on this team.

Doc's Sports : The 2018 Winter Olympics gets underway later this week. Do you have any inside tips for the best way to cash in a few winning tickets betting on this unique sporting event over the next few weeks?

RE: Right now, there is very little on the board as far as Olympics' betting other than futures for medal counts, but things should pick up once the games get underway. The top three betting sports should be ice hockey, skiing and curling. I would look for some great betting opportunities for head-to-head matchups once we get closer to the medal rounds for each of these sports.

Doc's Sports: Along with the start of the Winter Olympics, is there anything else on this week's betting radar that has caught your interest?

RE : Everyone knows that I am a big MMA fan, so this Saturday's UFC 221 from Australia is probably at the top of the list. The main event is a middleweight fight between Yoel Romero and Luke Rockhold in what could turn into an all-out brawl. Another great fight should be in the heavyweight division between Mark Hunt and Curtis Blaydes.

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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