Grammy predictions from Vegas

Pick ’em! That’s what we asked oddsmaker Lou D’Amico of Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace to do, and that’s what he and his colleague Eddie Pinto did. What follows is their betting line for selected Grammy categories (though Caesars Palace doesn’t actually take Grammy bets), with comments by D’Amico and our own David Browne. D’Amico and Pinto’s picks are indicated by *

RECORD OF THE YEAR
”Another Day in Paradise” Phil Collins (5-1)
* ”From a Distance” Bette Midler (2-1)
”Nothing Compares 2 U” Sinéad O’Connor (3-1)
‘U Can’t Touch This” M.C. Hammer (6-1)
”Vision of Love” Mariah Carey (4-1)
D’Amico: ”Midler’s anthem touches the hearts of all Americans, especially those who have family or friends serving in the Persian Gulf.”

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Back on the Block Quincy Jones (7-1)
But Seriously Phil Collins (3-1)
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (10-1)
*Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em M.C. Hammer (6-5)
Wilson Phillips Wilson Phillips (4-1)
D’Amico: ”Hammer has the whole world dancing again.”

SONG OF THE YEAR
”Another Day in Paradise” Phil Collins (5-1)
* ”From a Distance” Julie Gold (even)
”Hold On” Wilson Phillips (4-1)
”Nothing Compares 2 U” Prince (2-1)
”Vision of Love” Mariah Carey, Ben Margulies (3-1)
Browne: ”In the songwriting category the theme’s the thing, hence a tie between Collins’ song about homelessness and Gold’s about world brotherhood. Besides, it’s impossible to hum ‘Vision of Love.”’

BEST NEW ARTIST
The Black Crowes (10-1)
Mariah Carey (2-1)
The Kentucky Headhunters (8-1)
Lisa Stansfield (3-1)
* Wilson Phillips (even)
Browne: ”In a better world, the Crowes’ boogie blues or Stansfield’s update of the Philly Soul style would win.”

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
”All Around the World” (single) Lisa Stansfield (2-1)
”From a Distance” (single) Bette Midler (6-1)
”I’m Your Baby Tonight” (single) Whitney Houston (3-1)
”Nothing Compares 2 U” (single) Sinéad O’Connor (3-1)
* ”Vision of Love” (single) Mariah Carey (9-5)
Browne: ”Carey’s showy, over-the-top singing will warm the hearts of anyone who watches Star Search.”

BEST POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE, MALE
”Another Day in Paradise” (single) Phil Collins (5-2)
”Downtown Train” (single) Rod Stewart (5-1)
* ”Georgia on My Mind” (single) Michael Bolton (2-1)
”I Don’t Have the Heart” (single) James Ingram (8-1)
”Oh Pretty Woman” (single) Roy Orbison (15-1)
Storm Front (album) Billy Joel (4-1)
Browne: ”Ingram’s not big enough, Joel’s not current enough, and Orbison’s not alive enough. Stewart gave the best performance.”

BEST RAP SOLO PERFORMANCE
All Hail the Queen (album) Queen Latifah (5-1)
”I Get the Job Done” (single) Big Daddy Kane (4-1)
”Ice Ice Baby” (single) Vanilla Ice (2-1)
”Monie in the Middle” (single) Monie Love (8-1)
* ”U Can’t Touch This” (single) M.C. Hammer (6-5)
Browne: ”M.C. Hammer is a cinch: Grammy voters don’t dance well enough to give him any of the major pop awards-and they probably never heard of anyone else on the list except Vanilla Ice.”

BEST PERFORMANCE, DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCAL
”Across the River” (single) Bruce Hornsby & the Range (7-1)
”All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You” (single) Heart (3-1)
”All My Life” (single) Linda Ronstadt/Aaron Neville (6-1)
* ”Hold On (single) Wilson Phillips (2-1)
”Unchained Melody” (single) Righteous Brothers (7-2)
Browne: ”Ann Wilson of Heart invests her group’s bathetic song with enough passion to make the WP gals sound like they should go back to college.”

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE, DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCAL
”Almost Hear You Sigh” (single) Rolling Stones (5-1)
Blue Sky Mining (album) Midnight Oil (10-1)
”Higher Ground” (single) Red Hot Chili Peppers (4-1)
”Janie’s Got a Gun” (single) Aerosmith (2-1)
* ”Suicide Blonde” (single) INXS (9-5)
Browne: ”But don’t underestimate the power of Aerosmith’s familiarity and its socially conscious song about child abuse.”

BEST HARD ROCK PERFORMANCE, VOCAL OR INSTRUMENTAL
”Epic” (single) Faith No More (3-1)
”Kickstart My Heart” (single) Mötley Crüe (5-2)
* The Razors Edge (album) AC/DC (2-1)
Ritual De Lo Habitual (album) Jane’s Addiction (5-1)
Time’s Up (album) Living Colour (6-1)
Browne: ”Living Colour’s messy but adventurous album deserves the nod, but Faith No More had the hit, and AC/DC has the loyal fans.”