The 2011-12 Pro Football season is now down to a single game. Few are surprised to see the Patriots representing the AFC, but in the NFC the Giants are definitely not the team most expected to reach the Super Bowl.

In fact when the playoffs began they were an afterthought at best, as the Packers or Saints were heavy favorites to be the ones standing when all the dust settled.

Instead, just like the Packers themselves had done only a season ago and the St. Louis Cardinals this past fall, the NY Giants seemed to be peaking at the perfect time. With less than two weeks till kick-off, it appears the Giants have captured the attention of fans everywhere and it’s beginning to feel like a good old-fashioned WWF bout between the "Good & Bad" guys.

Prior to both Conference Championship games most odds makers, pro bettors, etc went on record stating the Patriots would be anywhere from -4½ to -5½ in a Super Bowl matchup against the Giants. Then after only 60 minutes of football for both teams, bookmakers instead decided to offer the Patriots -3½ as the opening line for the Super Bowl.

And rather than move up towards the price most expected in the first place, the line began to drop. Needless to say, there wasn’t too much confidence in the opening line and books have been eager to adjust quickly with each limit bet they’ve taken.

The worst case scenario for bookmakers are:

They get "middled" for big money, which won’t happen as long as they keep adjusting quickly.

They get "sided," meaning they’re forced to take a much bigger position than they’d like due to a lack of balanced action.

They "push" the game, and therefore have to "refund" bettors their money.

So between now and kickoff, the betting market for hoops will be primarily saturated with sharp money. That will all change in the weeks that follow the Super Bowl, as more recreational bettors decide to cross over and begin warming up for March Madness by getting down nightly.

Top 5 "Over-Valued" Sports Wagers

NY GIANTS (Pro Football)

I’m not advocating fading this red hot team automatically based on "line-value" alone. That said, there is very little doubt they should be bigger dogs than the current 2½. We are also assured the money line drop significantly since so many Giants backers will take the ML instead of the +2.5 or +3.

This is a perfect example of how little respect the wise guys get for a game of this magnitude which attracts so much public money.

NY KNICKS (NBA BASKETBALL)

Big-market teams almost always come with a premium attached due to their fan base and the Knicks have been no exception. After finally turning in a winning season both SU and ATS in 2010-11, they came in with some loftier expectations than in prior years.

So far they are five games out of first place in the Atlantic and have covered only 4 of 17 games Look for the Knicks to continue costing backers going forward.

LA LAKERS (NBA BASKETBALL)

Odds makers will almost always inflate the price to back the Lakers due to their huge fan base. Bettors flock to them on a nightly basis. It’s been that way for decades and as long as they remain competitive, it will stay that way. Last season odds makers did a pretty good job of protecting the books by providing lines that resulted in a loss of money for Lakers backers even after winning their division by 17 games.

This season, it appears they’ll be battling their in-city rivals, the Clippers for the top spot. But the Lakers are truly lacking on the offensive end, ranking No. 20 in points per game. This won’t get it done against the spread when they’re almost always favored.

BUTLER (NCAA basketball)

The Bulldogs have always been one of the fan favorites when it comes to "Mid-Majors" and attract a lot of support at the betting windows especially in Conference play since they’re considered the elite. However, this season it appears the two-time NCAA championship runner-up has some stiff competition and I’d be surprised to see them win the conference this March.

Expect to see them continue struggling ATS against some much improved conference opponents.

KENTUCKY (NCAA basketball)

The Wildcats may be No. 1 according to pollsters, but they are anything but when it comes to their ATS results. The Wildcats are 20-1 overall, but. But that hasn’t produced any profit for their backers as they have covered only five of those 21 games. "Spread is Always the Great Equalizer" in sports betting, and there’s no better example of that than Kentucky.

The Wildcats have covered 2 of their last 3, but I don’t consider that a sign of what’s to come. They’ll continue to be sent out inflated –even with such a poor ATS mark.

Top 5 "Under-Valued" Sports Wagers

NEW ENGLAND (Pro Football)

I am not urging anyone to fire a bet on the Pats for the Super Bowl just yet. I am stating that the line has been discounted in anticipation of Giants money from the public, who has yet to bet the game. It’s extremely surprising to list the Pats as an "under-valued" commodity since they almost always come with a premium attached since they are a very "Public Team."

Nothing will support my claim more than a quick glance at the money-line for the game on Super Bowl Sunday when the price does not reflect what it should for the given point-spread.

PHILADELPHIA (NBA BASKETBALL)

Currently 4½ games ahead of the Celtics for the top spot in the division, but not getting much attention since most expected a mediocre season at best for Philly. I remember watching a handful of different NBA preview shows and can promise you that nobody selected the Sixers as a team on the rise. They were actually chosen as a team that most likely not returning to the playoffs this year.

Few are taking the Sixers seriously and for my sake and other bettors like me, I hope that continues so I can keep backing this squad and cash more tickets.

DENVER (NBA BASKETBALL)

When Carmelo Anthony left for NY, most thought it would be mean the rebuilding of the Nuggets and it would take a while to see them be competitive again. But that is definitely not what occurred. Denver went 50-32 last season and again is right behind OKC for the top spot. The Nuggets are currently the most profitable team in the entire Western Conference.

Don’t expect that to change much because they attract very little attention from bettors. When Gallinari is the team star, rest assured they won’t get much hype from the media and that means they’ll remain an under-the-radar team in the betting market.

MISSOURI (NCAA basketball)

With teams like Kansas, Baylor, and Texas, Mizzou has continued to be an afterthought in the Big 12. Even at 18-1, most believe Kansas and Baylor remain the teams to beat. While those teams are barely above .500 ATS, the Tigers have cashed 10 of 14 lined games for their supporters. They are the top team in offensive efficiency and can also play some strong defense.

What I like most of all is their maturity with only one sophomore seeing any real minutes. The one negative is height and they may have some problems against the longer teams that can get force them to play a half court game. They seem to have a chip on their shoulder.

WISCONSIN (NCAA basketball)

Currently third in the Big 10 but still only one game out, the Badgers suffered a three game losing streak to begin the new year and it’s cost them as far as perception is concerned. It wasn’t long ago that they were considered one of the best teams in the nation and arguably the only one in the Big 10 that can compete with Ohio St.

The Badgers are 67% ATS this season but with an offense that ranks 231 in points scored. They lack the style points recreational bettors look for in teams. Look for them to be right there fighting for the National Championship when spring rolls around.

MARKET MONEY-METER;

NFL

90% PUBLIC / 10% SHARP

That ratio obviously tilts towards the sharps for many of the prop bets since that’s a market that many betting syndicates look forward to exploiting all year long…but for the most part, the public money wagered on the Super Bowl overwhelms the wise guy money that’s booked. This is why the public will play a much bigger role in the line-move for the side and total than the sharps will.

NBA BASKETBALL & COLLEGE BASKETBALL

75% SHARP / 25% PUBLIC

Another ratio that tilts towards the other side, this time the public side…when a game is more "marquee". But until the Super Bowl is finally over and recreational bettors have decided to seek action via hoops, the betting market will remain over-saturated with sharp money. The majority of public money being bet over these next two weeks is primarily tied into parlays, for more entertainment and action than anything else.

(Vegas-Runner is a professional sports bettor in Las Vegas. He’s been featured on CNBC/ESPN and currently holds the record for "Most Units Won" in a single year at the Sports Monitor. Follow VR on Twitter@vegasrunner and at Pregame.com.)