Jeff Haney offers some tips on baseball betting, such as looking for players in the last year of their contracts

Friday, March 9, 2007 | 7:04 a.m.

Analyzing the booklet of betting propositions on the 2007 baseball season issued by the Las Vegas Hilton can be a daunting task.

Hilton oddsmakers are offering over/under betting on the number of wins by 20 individual pitchers; home runs by 22 hitters; hits by 10 other batters; and saves by eight closers.

That's in addition to a selection of so-called "season mosts." (For example, will the player with the most triples in 2007 have over or under 16 1/2?)

Eddie Calandro, a baseball stats aficionado from West Haven, Conn., suggests concentrating on players for whom 2007 is the final year of a contract.

Given the extra, finance-driven incentive, these players could be more likely to outperform expectations this season, according to Calandro.

The key question, of course, is whether oddsmakers accounted for this factor when making their prices.

Following is a selection of players who fall into this category:

Blue Ribbon guide

Online and print versions of the acclaimed Blue Ribbon College Basketball Tournament Guide will be available to sports bettors in time for the opening games of the tournament next week, according to Howard Schwartz, proprietor of the Gambler's Book Shop.

To be guaranteed a hard copy from the Gambler's Book Shop (630 S. 11th St.), customers must pay in advance for the $45 book, which covers overnight shipping charges and a no-return policy from the publisher. Anyone who prepays by the end of the day today will be guaranteed a copy by Tuesday, Schwartz said.

Downloads of the guide, which can be viewed online or printed out, are $9.95 (www.gamblersbook.com) and are expected to be available by Sunday night.

Basketball bettors swear by Blue Ribbon's guidebooks for the information they contain, even though they do not focus specifically on point spreads or other gambling topics.

New partnership

The sports book at El Cortez downtown is now linked with the book at Michael Gaughan's South Point, meaning bettors can find the same betting options and limits at both properties.

South Point was previously affiliated with the Coast/Boyd group of casino sports books, then became an independent operation when Gaughan assumed control of the hotel.