Over the past 40 years, Doc’s Sports Service has continually earned its reputation as one of the top sports selection companies in the gaming industry by providing its loyal customers a steady stream of winners in a number of different sports. The primary reason for such unparalleled success over such a long period of time is the quality of the handicappers we do business with. One of Doc’s top performers for close to five years now has been the Vegas Sports Informer. Over that period of time, The Informer has moved himself up the ranks of the industry through the unique ability to combine his thorough understanding of how 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 has used this insider’s edge to consistently provide winners in a number of different sports.

As part of an ongoing series, Doc’s Sports has taken the opportunity to sit down with The Informer to provide our customers with a first-hand, behind-the-scenes glimpse at what is really going in the Las Vegas books as well as to gain some valuable insight into some of the hottest trending topics in the sports gaming industry today. The following is this week’s discussion.

Doc’s Sports: The NBA was back in action last week after the all-star break, and the college basketball season is really starting to heat up. Throw in the NHL, match-play golf and the Daytona 500, and this past weekend was jam-packed with potential betting action. How did all this translate to the action in the Las Vegas books?

VSI: The NBA action was average and college basketball received a boost from some of Saturday’s BracketBusters matchups, especially the Creighton vs. St. Mary’s game. The biggest draw of the weekend was actually the Daytona 500, which brought in quite a bit of action. The golf tournament was all but forgotten once Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy were eliminated.

Doc’s Sports: Speaking of college basketball, as the regular season heads into its final few weeks, both the Big 12 and Big East titles remain completely up for grabs. Which team do you see coming out on top in each of these conferences once all the smoke clears?

VSI: You would have to believe that the Jayhawks victory over Iowa State on the road this past Monday puts them in the driver’s seat in the Big 12, especially with two previous wins over Kansas State under their belt. The same could be said for Georgetown in the Big East after stunning Syracuse on the road last Saturday. However, the Hoyas still have to get by Connecticut on the road this Wednesday night and play the Orange again at home in their regular-season finale.

Doc’s Sports: The NBA Trade Deadline came and went last week with little fanfare. Looking a bit deeper into a few of the trades that did or did not take place, where there any clear-cut winners or losers?

VSI: The trade deadline was basically a non-factor as nobody really helped or hurt themselves in terms of the rest of this season. A few teams may find themselves between a rock and a hard place this offseason with some tough decisions to make in terms of some big-name personnel.

Doc’s Sports: With Chicago’s record-breaking start along with the play of a couple of surprise teams such as Montreal and Anaheim, has the betting action on the NHL in Las Vegas picked up or is hockey still an afterthought in light of the NBA and college basketball?

VSI: The Blackhawks’ streak has really been a boon to the betting action on the NHL as everyone in Las Vegas loves to jump on a winner. The nationally televised games on the NHL Network or NBC Sports Network have done really well, especially West Coast matchups with a later start. This has helped to fill the gap on nights when the basketball action is light. We have also seen a fair share of activity on the late games in terms of NHL-NBA parlays.

Doc’s Sports: As an avid boxing fan, what are your thoughts on the announcement that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has agreed to fight Robert Guerrero on May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas?

VSI: One of the best things about not only this fight but with Mayweather also inking a deal with Showtime, is that it finally puts all the rematch talk against Pacquiao to rest. Look for Mayweather to use this Guerrero fight as a spring board to an early November bout against Canelo Alverez.

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.