March Madness starts up next week. Will either of Nevada's basketball teams make it in?
And can the Vegas Golden Knights keep up their electrifying pace and win it all this season?
Mitch Moss, the host of a daily program on VSIN called Follow the Money, says the Golden Knights are without a doubt one of the best teams in the NHL.
But if they do win it all, it could hurt the state's sports books.
"There is so much liability on this team across town and across the state -- if they would actually win the Stanley Cup that books would get absolutely buried," he said.
The problem for sportsbooks, but not for fans of the franchise, is that people bet on the Golden Knights when they had very long odds to win.
But, now the team winning is a real thing.
"If you have them to win the division, that is a great bet," Moss said.
If they win the division or beyond, the books will get "murdered" Moss said.
But if they don't win, Moss believes they've brought so much to the city it won't matter if they lost every game going forward.
"They could lose every game for the rest of the season until the regular season is done, get swept in the first round of the playoffs and it would still be considered a success," he said.
He said it was a "hell of a season" no matter what happens.
"What they’ve given this city and sports fans here in this city and sports fans I would say across the country has been completely remarkable to this point," Moss said.
If the Golden Knights don't do well in the playoffs, everyone will be looking to speculate about next season.
Moss said one of the advantages the Golden Knights have had might disappear next year. It is referred to as the "Vegas Flu," where teams come here and enjoyed all the Las Vegas Strip has to offer in the days leading up to the game, but all that "enjoyment" has hurt their gameplay.
Another big sports event that is just a few days away is the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, otherwise known as March Madness.
Moss believes UNR will get in for sure, but UNLV -- although starting the season strong -- will not be in the Big Dance. The Runnin' Rebels just don't have the record needed to get a slot in the bracket.
Moss said night after night, team after team, the Rebels defense was "poor" in a "below average" conference.
"There is no excuse to finish where they did -- none," he said.
And as for next year, Moss is beyond concerned about the coaching and the program's future.
"I don’t think they have the right coach now in Marvin Menzies," he said. "Quite frankly, I don’t know if they’re ever going to hire the right coach beyond this anyway. I have little to zero faith in this program right now."
For those playing to fill out brackets for March Madness, Moss likes Duke, Villanova, Virginia, and North Carolina. For underdogs, he says don't count out Michigan, Tennessee or Notre Dame.
Mitch Moss, VSIN
