Sports Handicapping Articles

How to Bet Boxing: Advice from Experts on Wagering and Handicapping Fights
by Chris Vasile - 8/23/2018

Sport is a beautiful thing. On any given night, two teams chock full of the best athletes in the world, or two single competitors, face off against each other in hopes of beating their opponent and claiming victory. Most of the time the better team/player prevails, but sometimes, when you least expect it, something insane takes place that leaves everyone scratching their head and wondering what the hell just happened. For many boxing fans, that night was on Feb. 11, 1990.

Johnny Manziel in the CFL Betting Props Odds with Expert Predictions
by Raphael Esparza - 5/23/2018

The 2018 Canadian Football Season kicks off on Thursday June 14, but right now everybody can't stop talking about the newest member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Johnny Manziel has decided to try and prove his football talents in the CFL, and Manziel signed a two-year contract with the Tiger-Cats.

Doc's Sports Announces Addition of 25-Yr Handicapper, ESPN Contributor Scott Spreitzer
by Doc's Sports - 4/11/2018

Doc's Sports Service announced the addition of Scott Spreitzer to its handicapping team on Wednesday. Spreitzer, with more than 25 years of professional handicapping experience, will begin his service at www.docsports.com on Thursday, April 12.

2018 Winter Olympics Betting Advice: Value Bets
by Trevor Whenham - 2/13/2018

I'm kind of obsessed with the Winter Olympics. When they were held in my hometown of Calgary in 1988 my grandfather was the president of the games, so I grew up around the Olympics. They are a far different animal than they were back then - far more complex and less pure - but they are still very compelling. It also doesn't hurt that Canadians are pretty good at the games. As fun as they are to watch, the Olympics can be pretty good to bet on as well. As always, there are some bets that are much better than others.

2018 Winter Olympics Wagering Advice and Tips: Bets to Avoid
by Trevor Whenham - 2/13/2018

I love watching the Winter Olympics, and I love betting on them. Often we find ourselves drawn to the heavy favorites in many events. So far, for example, Chloe Kim in the snowboard halfpipe, Mikael Kingsbury in the moguls, Dutch speed skaters, and Norwegian skiers have all delivered as prohibitive favorites. But favorites don't always come through - especially in more volatile events. The trick to betting success, then, is to know which favorites aren't worth the gamble. Here are six favorites I'll be steering clear of (odds are from Bovada):

Free CFL Picks for Playoffs from Expert Canadian Football Handicapper
by Raphael Esparza - 11/10/2017

The 18-game CFL regular season has given way to the postseason and the quest for the 2017 Grey Cup Championship. Toronto in the East and Calgary in the West earned a first-round bye by winning each division title. This Sunday in a pair of division semifinal matchups, the other four playoff teams will look to take that next step towards winning this year's title.

Free CFL Picks Week 12 from Expert Canadian Football Handicapper
by Raphael Esparza - 9/6/2017

One of the betting angles that is unique to the CFL is a home-and-home series where two teams play one another in consecutive weeks. Since there are only nine teams in this league playing an 18-game regular season, there is a much higher level of familiarity with one another, especially when playing two games in back-to-back weeks.

Free CFL Picks Week 11 from Expert Canadian Football Handicapper
by Raphael Esparza - 8/30/2017

I didn't see Edmonton's meltdown against Saskatchewan coming with last week's free pick in what was probably the most shocking upset in the CFL this season. I think this upset was actually more of a case of the Roughriders being underrated as opposed to Edmonton being overrated. In light of this, I decided to go with Saskatchewan's key home game this week against Winnipeg for my free CFL pick of the week for Doc's.

Free CFL Picks Week 10 from Expert Canadian Football Handicapper
by Raphael Esparza - 8/23/2017

Sometimes you just know when to go against a team no matter how good it is playing at that particular time. That is why I went against Edmonton last week as the only undefeated team in the CFL to cash in on my free weekly pick for Doc's after the Eskimos fell to Winnipeg 33-26 as slight one-point road favorites. I also know that Edmonton is still one of the best teams in the league, so that is why I am jumping back on its bandwagon in Week 10.

Free CFL Picks Week 9 from Expert Canadian Football Handicapper
by Raphael Esparza - 8/16/2017

There are four head-to-head division battles on tap in Week 9 of the CFL season that could have a big impact on both title races. The West remains leaps and bounds ahead of the East with a combined straight up record of 25-10 while a record of 3-4 SU is good enough for the lead in the other division. Edmonton has led the way with a perfect start, but getting that eighth straight win could be tougher than expected.

Free CFL Picks Week 8 from Expert Canadian Football Handicapper
by Raphael Esparza - 8/9/2017

The current disparity in talent between the CFL's West Division and the East has been a goldmine for sports bettors this season. While Calgary easily covered against Toronto in last week's inter-division 41-24 romp, I cashed in my winning pick on the "over" 54.5 points in that game.

Free CFL Picks Week 7 from Expert Canadian Football Handicapper
by Raphael Esparza - 8/2/2017

A few CFL teams came into this season with a renewed commitment to focus on offense and scoring points behind their top playmakers. A perfect example was last week's thrilling last-second 41-40 victory by Winnipeg against Montreal to easily take my pick of the week "over" the closing 50.5-point line.

Free CFL Picks Week 6 from Expert Canadian Football Handicapper
by Raphael Esparza - 7/26/2017

I went with Saskatchewan and the 10 points on the road against Calgary last week in my free weekly CFL pick for Doc's Sports, and once again the Stampeders went on to prove that they are still the team to beat in this league with a 27-10 victory that more than covered the spread.

From Tony George: Hello to Doc's Sports
by Tony George - 7/25/2017

A quick welcome to all the valued Doc's Sports clients as I am honored to now be a part of the stable of talented and professional handicappers that reside here. I am sure some of you have heard of me, and some of you may have not. Just a quick introduction and a few notes that may interest you.

Free CFL Picks Week 5 from Expert Canadian Football Handicapper
by Raphael Esparza - 7/19/2017

When it comes to handicapping the CFL, it becomes a bit too easy to get caught up in the early results in a league that has quite a bit of parity across the ranks. That was the case with last week's pick when favored Calgary actually lost to Montreal straight up. The Stampeders are still one of the top teams in the league, but Montreal proved that its new-look offense is a far cry from the one that averaged 21.3 points per game last season.

Free CFL Picks Week 4 from Expert Canadian Football Handicapper
by Raphael Esparza - 7/13/2017

The new CFL regular season is three weeks old, and the underdogs continue to pay out at a high rate with a 10-2 record against the spread. I went with the "over" 56 as my top pick last week in Calgary's 29-10 victory against Winnipeg, but the Blue Bombers' offense was never able to get in gear. Week 4 is filled with inter-division battles and I have found one that should pay off as my free pick.

Free CFL Picks Week 3 from Expert Canadian Football Handicapper
by Raphael Esparza - 7/4/2017

The first eight games of the new CFL regular season are in the books, and the underdogs are boasting a perfect 8-0 record against the spread. I was able to cash in on Ottawa as a road underdog in last week's free CFL pick for Doc's, but this time around a solid play on the total line has caught my eye for my top free CFL play in Week 3.

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Betting Picks From Expert Pop Culture Handicapper
by Raphael Esparza - 6/30/2017

It's that time of year again to fire up the grill, light some fireworks, and spend quality time with family and friends. But before you do that you must prepare to watch some gross and over-eating men and women! Nathan's Famous 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest will be held Tuesday July 4.

Mayweather vs. McGregor Fight Odds: Early Props with Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 6/23/2017

Aug. 26 may not be much of a fight day, but as far as spectacles go it may never be topped. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is more in love with himself than any man has ever been, and he lives to promote himself. Conor McGregor can outtalk anyone and is fearless and cocky. Bring them together, throw in a few hundred million dollars, and set it in Las Vegas for good measure, and you are going to have a fight week like we have rarely seen. We can talk about how the actual fight might turn out closer to the event. BetOnline has set some interesting prop bets leading up to the fight, though, and this is a good time to take a look at them.

Free CFL Picks Week 1 from Expert Canadian Football Handicapper
by Raphael Esparza - 6/21/2017

A new season of football 'North of the Border' gets underway with Week 1 of the 2017 CFL regular season. This league offers avid sports bettors a great opportunity to get an early jump on another winning year instead of waiting for the NFL to start up this fall. Along with my weekly selection packages for the CFL, I will once again be releasing a 'free pick" every week for Doc's Sports as an added bonus to my coverage of this league.