Doc’s Sports Service has built its reputation as one of the top selection companies in the sports gaming industry for well over four decades by providing our loyal customers a steady stream of winners in a number of different sports. That kind of success does not happen by accident, so that is why Doc’s has made a habit of working hand-in-hand with some of the best handicappers in the business. One of those individuals over the past four years has been the Vegas Sports Informer. He has built his success as a top handicapper around the ability to break down matchups with the help of a finely-sharpened edge from spending the past 15 years working behind the counter of one of the biggest sportsbooks in Las Vegas. Nothing tops the experience gained from working in the sports gambling capital of the world, especially for such a long tenure as his. This, in-turn, has enabled The Informer to consistently provide winners in a number of different sports.

As part of an ongoing weekly series, Doc’s Sports decided to sit down with The Informer to provide a first-hand, behind-the-scenes glimpse at what is really going in the Las Vegas books as well as get his expert opinion on each week’s hottest trending sports gaming topics. The following is this week’s discussion.

Doc’s Sports: The money for Super Bowl XLVII had been pouring in on Baltimore from the minute the spread on the game was first released. What was the net result with the Las Vegas books in light of the Ravens’ win coupled with the game going “over” the total?

VSI: A good deal of money shifted towards the 49ers as the game got closer and closer, so it balanced out all the early action on the Ravens. So much so, that there were two casinos in Reno that had the 49ers at minus six by the time kickoff rolled around. As expected, there was heavy play on the over the day of the game, but the losses there were not too bad either after all the early money came in on the “under”. All in all, it was a long day, but in the end the books ended up on top like they usually do.

Doc’s Sports: Some early odds have already been released for next year’s Super Bowl. Do you have any initial thoughts on which two teams you see battling it out in Super Bowl XLVIII?

VSI: You have to like San Francisco’s chances to win the NFC again as there is just too much upside to this team. If Peyton Manning has enough juice left in his tank, it could be his turn for a ride back to the Super Bowl. My early sleeper is Cincinnati at 35/1. Baltimore has some major cap issues and the Steelers are starting to look old, especially on defense, so the path to top seed in the AFC could be wide open.

Doc’s Sports: Last week you mentioned that you see the San Jose Sharks remaining the team to beat in the NHL’s Western Conference after jumping out to a fast start. What are your thoughts about the Eastern Conference now that every team has a few games under its belt?

VSI: Pittsburgh was just about everyone’s favorite in the East. Sidney Crosby and Co. are starting to fill the role, especially in light of the Rangers poor performance so far.  Boston is also off to a hot start, but much like my Blackhawks in the West, I am not overly confident the Bruins can maintain that kind of pace. My two sleepers to keep an eye on would be Carolina and Winnipeg in the Southeast as I do not see Washington bouncing back from its poor start.

Doc’s Sports: We are still a ways off from any serious discussion about bracketology for this year’s NCAA Men’s Tournament. However, right now, which teams would be your No.1 seeds for the four regions?

VSI: While I would still go with Indiana as my top team, the only No.1 seed I feel really confident about is Florida. One, because of the Gators’ stifling defense, and two, the lack of any real competition in the SEC. Michigan would be my third choice as the Big Ten could very well be deserving of two No.1 seeds this year. That would leave Kansas and Duke to battle it out for the final top seed, with my nod going to the Jayhawks in light of an easier path over the final few weeks of the regular season.

Doc’s Sports: Earlier in the NBA season, you were making a very nice living off of picking solid road teams from the West as slight favorites over middle-of-the-road teams from the East. Has this trend held up or are you onto something new?

VSI: For the most part, that trend has remained a money maker all season long. I have recently been cleaning up on the under line with some of the top teams in the league. San Antonio has been a virtual gold mine, and so has Miami when you pick and choose your plays. As the season wears on, the better teams in the league start relying more and more on their defense to win games, and it is starting to show in lower final scores.

To keep up on all the inside information from Las Vegas be sure to follow VSI on Twitter @vsidocsports. Also, if you have any questions for The Informer that you would like us to cover in future articles please email them to askvsi@docsports.com and we will do our best to add them into the mix.