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


by Docsports.com - 6/25/2019

Kawhi Leonard Toronto Raptors

The official start of summer marks a shift in betting options at Doc's Sports Service. Diversity is the name of the game as the weather heats up, and nobody handicaps a wider array of betting options than Raphael Esparza. He gained notoriety as the Vegas Sports Informer during a long and successful run in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry. That career culminated in 2013 with him holding prestigious title as the Director of the Race and Sports Book for MGM Resorts' Aria.

Since then, he has devoted all of his time and energy to running a successful sports investment business from his home base in Las Vegas as well as from the Big Easy in New Orleans. Esparza continues to offer selection packages that run the gambit in the sports betting industry. Each week, Doc's gets the opportunity to pick his brain on some of the hottest trending betting topics in the world of sports.

Doc's: The Kawhi Leonard Free Agent Sweepstakes is about to get underway in the NBA after he declined the option on the final year of his contract with Toronto. Where do you have him playing basketball next season?

RE: Toronto is the favorite, and I would have to agree. He knows he has a winning combination with his current team, and that could be enough to keep him with the Raptors. The Los Angeles Clippers are the only other team with a legitimate chance. However, they probably need more than Leonard to become a legitimate title contender, which could work against their chances to sign him.

Doc's: The MLB regular season is rapidly approaching the halfway mark of its extended 162-game schedule. Given what we have seen from the New York Yankees in the AL East and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West so far, would that be your top-betting matchup for this year's World Series in October?

RE: I would like to think that my Cubs have a chance, but I do not see any team in the NL getting past the Dodgers. You can never rule out Boston in the AL East, but I would also agree that the Yankees should make a run to the World Series this year.

Doc's: We know that your are big on betting the College World Series for baseball. Michigan pulled off the big upset in Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series. So which team do you have in Game 2 between Vanderbilt and Michigan?

RE: I would have to go with the Commodores on Tuesday night and I would bet them again in Game 3. Vanderbilt is still the better all-around team, and I do believe that the past two champions also lost the series opener.

Doc's: Ahead of UFC 239 on July 6 in Las Vegas, do you have any thoughts on this Saturday's UFC Fight Night card on ESPN from the Target Center in Minneapolis?

RE: This card is all about some heavy-punching heavyweights. Francis Ngannou is a heavy -260 favorite against Junior Dos Santos. And while I have the favorite in this one, the best bet could be the "under" on 2.5 rounds with some big punches thrown by each of these fighters.

Doc's: With the summer betting season in full swing, is there anything else on this week's slate that is also on your betting radar?

RE: I am excited for the opening of the summer meet at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club this weekend, but the Women's World Cup quarterfinals match between USA and France this Friday tops the list. The US Women's National Team is going to have to play much better than it did against Spain to keep their gold medal hopes alive.

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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