Doc’s Sports Service has earned its reputation as being one of the top selection companies in the sports betting industry for well over 40 years because of the ability to provide our loyal customers with a steady stream of winners in a number of different sports. The only way you can do that is by employing the services of some of the best handicappers in the business. Over the past five years, one of our most successful handicappers has been the Vegas Sports Informer. He has been able to rise to the top of the ranks by combining his uncanny ability to break down matchups with the competitive edge that comes from spending the last 15 years behind the counter of one of the biggest sportsbooks in Las Vegas. The Informer uses this insider’s edge to make all of his selections, and the result has been a consistent winning record for a wide selection of sports.

Starting with last year’s football season, Doc’s Sports decided to tap into this insiders edge by sitting down with The Informer on a weekly basis to give our readers a first-hand, behind-the-scenes glimpse at what is really going in the Las Vegas books. Over the course of these discussions, he has been able to provide valuable insight into some of the hottest trending topics in the sports gaming industry today. The following is this week’s interview.

Doc’s Sports: After six days of games with wagering on a total of 52 different matchups, how have the Las Vegas books fared so far in this year’s NCAA Tournament?

VSI: I have been in Las Vegas for quite awhile now, and I cannot remember the last time that the books came out on top all four days in the opening two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The weekend was particularly good led by Syracuse failing to cover against California on Saturday and Miami’s inability to cover the eight points against Illinois on Sunday.

Doc’s Sports: Last week we talked about your Final Four teams, and so far you are 3-for-4 with the only casualty being New Mexico. Are you still sold on Louisville, Kansas and Indiana making it all the way to Atlanta, and which team would be your new choice to make it out of the West Region?

VSI: Starting with the West, I would have to lean heavily on Ohio State, but do not go to sleep on Arizona. I love what both La Salle and Wichita State have done so far, but neither ride is going past this weekend. Louisville and Kansas are still rock-solid picks to advance through their regions, but I now have some question marks surrounding Indiana after it struggled to get by Temple.

Doc’s Sports: The Miami Heat’s 27-game winning streak will be on the line this Wednesday night against Chicago. As a big Bulls fan, does your team have any shot at bringing this amazing run to an end?

VSI: As much as I would love to say the streak ends in Chicago, the Bulls are just too beat up right now to hang with Miami for all four quarters. If they can hold the Heat to less than 90 points they might have a shot, but it is a longshot at best. While any NBA team that wins 27 straight games is doing something right, I am not overly impressed given the injury situations of some of the better teams Miami has faced along the way. If they do get by the Bulls on Wednesday and New Orleans later in the week, bet the farm that the Heat’s run ends this Sunday in San Antonio.

Doc’s Sports: Pittsburgh has put together a nice little streak of its own in the NHL with 12-straight wins. Has the balance of power shifted from teams such as Chicago and Anaheim in the Western Conference to the Penguins in the East as far as your favorite to win this year’s Stanley Cup?

VSI: The Western Conference still appears to be a two-way race between the Blackhawks and the Ducks, but whichever team has to face Pittsburgh in the Stanley Cup Finals will have their hands full. Chicago’s run earlier in the year was impressive, but there were still some overtime losses along the way. The Penguins are beating teams and beating them up with much better play on defense to go along with easily the most prolific offense in the league.

Doc’s Sports: When it came to the best overall pitching staff in the American League this season, you went with the Los Angeles Angels as your top team with Toronto’s staff a very close second. Which team would top your list in the National League?

VSI: My gut reaction would be to say the Washington Nationals, but I am interested to see what kind of start Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez get off to. I still like the Phillies staff with Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay, but the most interesting scenario could be in Cincinnati with Aroldis Chapman remaining the team’s closer as opposed to joining the starting rotation. When you can afford to that you have some serious depth throughout your staff.

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.