Jeff Haney on one handicapper’s reasons for picking Devils, Sabres, Flames and Sharks

Friday, April 21, 2006 | 7:21 a.m.

As the NHL and NBA playoffs begin, teams from Detroit are favored to win each championship - the Red Wings at roughly 3-1 and the Pistons at even money.

But if Hockeytown hopes to earn another sports title this year, the Pistons better bring it home, according to Las Vegas handicapper Patrick Bartucci.

Bartucci will be betting against the Red Wings and other short-priced teams such as the Ottawa Senators and Dallas Stars in the NHL playoffs.

He recommends backing four midrange, longer shots instead: the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres from the Eastern Conference, and the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks from the Western Conference.

"If I were to make a prediction now, I'd have New Jersey and San Jose in the finals," Bartucci said. "And both are available at double-digit odds (to win the Stanley Cup) as the playoffs begin."

As always, it's important to shop around for the best value, but in recent days odds on the Devils and the Flames could be found in the 9-1 to 10-1 range, with the Sharks and Sabres as high as 15-1 to 18-1 to win the NHL title.

The Sharks played exceptionally well in April and have been among the best teams in hockey since trading for league scoring champ Joe Thornton on Nov. 30. They're better than a 3-2 favorite in their first-round series against Nashville.

The Flames could ride goalie Miikka Kiprusoff, the leading Vezina Trophy candidate, deep into the playoffs, Bartucci said. Calgary is a 2-1 series favorite against Anaheim.

Bartucci likes the Devils - who won 10 games in a row heading into the playoffs behind hot-handed goalie Martin Brodeur - as a 5-2 favorite against the New York Rangers in their best-of-seven series.

"The Rangers backed into the playoffs, and if you can stop (their leading scorer) Jaromir Jagr, you can stop the Rangers," said Bartucci, online at patricksfreepress.com. "I think teams have learned how to do that."

The Sabres are 3-2 favorites in their first-round series against Philadelphia, and Bartucci again finds value with the favorite.

"Buffalo is a very aggressive team," he said. "The Flyers haven't had a goalie since Pelle Lindbergh, so no matter who they start (in the net) they're going to be at a disadvantage. Buffalo is an attack team and they're going to be too much for Philadelphia's defense."

Las Vegas sports books present creative ways to bet the Triple Crown races each spring, and this year is no exception.

Among the Kentucky Derby propositions available at Caesars Palace and related properties are an odd/even prop on the saddle cloth number of the Derby winner; an over/under on the winning time of the Derby (under 2:02.2 opened a slight favorite); and an over/under on the Derby's winning mutuel price (over $17.70 opened as a minus-160 favorite).

Other props ask if the Derby winner will also win the Preakness, the Belmont, or both, at various odds.

Brother Derek, who has dominated the 3-year-old competition in Southern California, figures to go off as a decided favorite in the Derby, with Arkansas Derby winner Lawyer Ron a likely second choice.

The time of the past two Derbies has gone "over" 2:02.2, but four of the past five Derb y races that were run on a fast track have gone under that figure.

Since 2000, four winners have paid more than $17.70 with two (Fusaichi Pegasus and Smarty Jones) paying less.

Following up on Monday's column on baseball dime lines and eight-cent lines, Robert Jaynes, director of the race and sports book at the Stratosphere, pointed out that he not only uses an eight-cent line on baseball games (as the column noted), but also employs a 15-cent line on baseball totals and run lines. The Imperial Palace also deals a 15-cent line on totals and run lines.

Totals betting involves an over/under wager on the number of runs scored in a given game. Run lines are a specialized wager in which a hypothetical 1 1/2 runs are added to or subtracted from a team's score at adjusted odds. The standard in both forms of wagering is a 20-cent line, so the 15-cent line at the IP and the Stratosphere (and its related Arizona Charlie's books) is generally a better deal for the gambler.