For the past 40-plus years, Doc’s Sports Service has built its reputation as one of the top selection companies in the sports gaming business behind our ability to provide a steady stream of weekly winners to our loyal customers for a number of different sports. We have been able to do this by surrounding ourselves with some of the top handicappers in the industry. For over four years now one of our top performers has been the Vegas Sports Informer. His success lies in the uncanny ability to break down matchups while combining a finely-sharpened edge from spending the past 15 years working behind the counter of one of the biggest sportsbooks in Las Vegas. The experience of working in the sports gambling capital of the world has enabled The Informer to utilize that edge to consistently provide winners in a number of different sports.

As an added benefit to our loyal customers, Doc’s Sports decided to sit down with The Informer on a weekly basis 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: Last week you mentioned that the early money for Super Bowl XLVII was pouring in on Baltimore along with some light action on the “under”. What do you see going on at the sportsbooks this week with the game just days away?

VSI: Nothing has changed the betting public’s mind on this matchup as the money keeps streaming in on the Ravens. I still think you will see this spread drop to three points by the time kick off rolls around. If fact, some of the biggest plays over the last few days have been on Baltimore on the money line, which we have at +165. As far as the total line, most of the action continues to gravitate to the under, as it has since the line for the game was first released.

Doc’s Sports: One of the best things about the Super Bowl is the action you can generate by wagering on any number of prop bets that are available for this game. Do you have any props in particular that have caught your eye for this year’s contest?

VSI: The first one that I like quite a bit is the “over” on Colin Kaepernick’s total completions, which I believe is right around 17.5. I see him throwing the ball more like he did against Atlanta as opposed to taking off and running it. The other one that offers some solid value is the under on both Ray Rice’s and Frank Gore’s total rushing yards. I believe Rice is at 71.5 yards and Gore is at 86.5 yards. I just do not see either runner getting near those numbers in this game.

Doc’s Sports: Before the NHL regular season finally got underway, you had specifically mentioned the San Jose Sharks and the Chicago Blackhawks as two teams to watch right out of the gate. With the Sharks and the Blackhawks still undefeated heading into Tuesday night’s games, are both these teams the real deal for the long haul?

VSI: I would continue to bet on the Sharks with my head, especially if they can keep getting some solid play in goal. Their offense has been unstoppable, and I see that continuing throughout the season. I would be betting the Blackhawks with my heart. I just feel this current pace is going to be hard to maintain as we have been down this road before. I also believe that the trade rumors circulating around Patrick Kane are still a legitimate issue.

Doc’s Sports: Last week you correctly called the upset in Miami’s romp over Duke and UCLA’s victory over Arizona. Looking at this week’s matchups, are there any Top-10 teams that you want to put on upset alert this time around?

VSI: While NC State is not in the Top 10, it is going to have its hands full with Virginia tonight. The game this week I am really looking at is Wednesday’s Big Ten showdown between Purdue and Indiana. Over the years, the Boilermakers have always been able to find a way to play Indiana tough, and this time around should be no exception.

Doc’s Sports: Right now, the NBA’s Western Conference appears to be a three-way race between Oklahoma City, San Antonio and the LA Clippers. Which of the trio do you see coming out on top, or is there another team that we should be watching in the West?

VSI: Conventional wisdom has me going with Oklahoma City as the top pick in the West, but if there is a dark horse out there it would be Denver. The Nuggets are shaping up as the kind of team that nobody at the top of the pack would want to face in the playoffs, especially on their home court where they have won something like 18 of 21 games so far.

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.