The year was 2007. The New York Giants were playing their final regular season game versus the NFL’s best New England Patriots. The Giants gave a valiant effort and lost, 38-35.

Fast forward to 2011-12. The New York Giants were playing the NFL’s best, The Green Bay Packers. The Giants gave a valiant effort and lost, 38-35.

In both cases the losses showed that the Giants could play with anyone in the league.

The year was 2007. The New York Giants were playing the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game, on the road. The Packers turned the ball over in overtime and lost by three on a Lawrence Tynes field goal.

Fast forward to 2012. The New York Giants were playing the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, on the road. The 49ers tuned the ball over in overtime and lost by three on a Lawrence Tynes field goal.

In both cases the game-winning field goal sent the Giants to the Super Bowl to battle the New England Patriots.

The year was 2007. The New York Giants were underdogs in the Super Bowl and beat the mighty New England Patriots outright.

Fast forward to 2012. The New York giants are underdogs in the Super Bowl and (blank) the New England Patriots. I know I can fill in the blank, but I’m just saying.

Here is this week’s Doc’s Sports Hot/Cold List:

THE COLD LIST:

10. Lee Evans – Yes, the ball was knocked out of his hands, but he is a professional receiver and that was the best-thrown ball – at the most critical time – of Joe Flacco’s career. Baltimore receivers don’t see many good balls like that. When they do they need to make the play. That touchdown could have been the start of a Flacco Legend. Instead it was another playoff failure.

9. Dirk Nowitzki – Dirk “Do Work” isn’t doing any work as we speak. The team has decided that Dirk needs to rest his weary knee and take four games off. News out of Dallas is that he now many need more than four games. The Mavs have been without Dirk since Jan. 19th, and they are 2-0 SU and 1-1 ATS. They have also fallen short of the total in both games without Nowitzki.

8. New York Knicks – The Knicks are currently 4-13 ATS on the season. This comes after a 46-34 ATS mark last season, good for third in the NBA. That Melo trade isn’t looking so good now, is it Knicks fans?

7. Kansas Jayhawks – How in the world are the Jayhawks on the Cold List you might ask? Well, I’ll tell you. They have failed to cover the spread in three of their last four games and two of the three losses came at home. I know this team has deserved its No. 5 ranking. But I am not sold on them.

6. Kansas State Wildcats – We might as well stay in the same state for this one. Maybe it is because the Big12 is getting so much publicity. Or maybe it is because the Wildcats just aren’t that valuable versus the line. The Wildcats are just 1-3 ATS in their last four games, including ATS losses in their last two home games.

5. NHL Home Squads With LaRue – Home teams in the NHL are an abysmal 9-33 in official Dennis LaRue’s games. Even worse is they are scoring just over two goals a game. If this guy is one of my refs I am doing my best to buy him a beer before the game. You can have “homer” officials in other sports. Why not hockey?

4. NFL Away teams – Over the last 30 days the away teams in the NFL were just 16-24-1, which is good for a 40 percent clip.

3. Detroit Tigers/Milwaukee Brewers – I linked the two teams together as they are dealing with similar issues. The Brewers lost Prince Fielder and his bat, which will cause a huge hole in their lineup, especially if Ryan Braun misses 50 games. The Tigers gained Prince Fielder and his bat, which will cause them nothing but headaches in years six through nine of this enormous and disgusting contract.

2. Billy Cundiff – Are you serious? I could’ve made that kick.

1. Kyle Williams – I actually feel bad for him. No one deserves the threats he is receiving over social media after he blew the NFC Championship Game. But, seriously, all he had to do was get out of the way of that ball. Why in the world was he anywhere near that first muffed punt in the first place. Good grief.

THE HOT LIST:

10. Home Teams with Kevin Cutler – NBA home teams are a robust 11-2 ATS with Cutler calling the shots. The home squads are winning by an average of more than 11 points in Culter’s games.

9. Chicago Bulls – The Bulls are the fourth best ATS team in the league at 12-7. They are also the top team in rebounding margin and top team in total defense. Keep an eye on games where the Bulls play poor rebounding teams and that ATS mark should continue to improve.

8. NBA ‘Under’ – After all this time the NBA oddsmakers still haven’t caught up with the totals. The ‘Under’ is hitting at over 57 percent through 279 total games.

7. ‘Over’ in Kozri’s Hockey Games – In the NHL this season, the ‘over’ is 27-12 in games in which Steve Kozari officiates. Thus far teams have averaged over six goals a game in which he is wearing his stripes.

6. Andy Murray – Murray is on fire in the Australian Open. He has lost only one set thus far and has only lost 17 games in his first three matches. Well done fine sir, well done.

5. Real Madrid – Across the pond soccer is being played at an extremely high level by Real Madrid. They are currently 16-1-2. That is 16 wins in 19 matches. That is money in the bank!

4. Anaheim Ducks – The Ducks are playing some ridiculous hockey as of late, winning eight of their last nine games. Their sole loss came at the hands of the Calgary Flames, 1-0, in overtime.

3. New England Patriots – The Pats have won eight games in a row SU and five of eight ATS. The have also gone ‘over’ the total in seven of their last eight games. During this stretch they have scored less than 30 points only one time, versus the Miami Dolphins on Christmas Eve. Super Bowl Sunday should be interesting, as they will be facing a hot Giants defense.

2. New York Giants – The Giants have picked a perfect time to get hot. New York has covered seven of their last eight games and five in a row, including all three playoff games. This Giants squad has also won their last four games in which they were dogs outright. Now is the time to worry about the hype getting out in front of them. But hot is hot, and right now no one is sports is doing more work than the G-Men.

1. Check back next week for more of the Hot/Cold List.

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