BIG PREDICTIONS FOR SMALL SCREEN.

Byline: Keith Marder Daily News Television Critic

Put away the crystal ball. Hang up on your personal astrologer. Even alien intelligence won't help get inside the heads of Emmy voters (sorry, Scully and Mulder), whose voting patterns are as predictable as the winning lottery numbers.

Critics everywhere try every year, but the Emmy, she's got a mind of her own.

For instance, who could have imagined that last year would be the one when long-overdue ``Law & Order'' would be tapped as top drama?

Who would guess that ``Frasier'' would win in each of its first four years as top comedy or that ``The Larry Sanders Show'' would be all but snubbed?

Playing the ``Who will win?'' game is nothing more than a multiple-choice exam you didn't - no, couldn't - study for.

But who should win is another story. If the karma is right, the stars aligned in perfect order, the ``should wins'' and the ``did wins'' may even collide at the winner's podium. Stranger things have happened. Hey, ``Who's the Boss?'' was on TV for eight years, wasn't it?

Here's a look at the big six categories and who should go home happy:

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Kelsey Grammer, ``Frasier'': Two balding men in battle for a trophy. This one comes down to between two-time winner Grammer and John Lithgow (``3rd Rock From the Sun''), who has won the past two years. Face it, Lithgow may be a great actor, but we have seen all that he can do with his Dick Solomon character. Grammer, however, goes toe-to-toe with better actors each week and more than holds his own. Long-shot pick: Michael J. Fox (``Spin City'').

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Calista Flockhart, ``Ally McBeal'': Helen Hunt (``Mad About You'') should stick to the Oscars. Hunt, winner in this category the past two years and winner of Best Actress at March's Oscars (``As Good as It Gets''), will be beaten by Flockhart, who shows a tremendous amount of range playing the most interesting character of the television season. Long-shot pick: Jenna Elfman (``Dharma & Greg'').

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Christine Lahti, ``Chicago Hope'': Sure, Gillian Anderson (``The X-Files'') had a great season, battling mysterious cancer, to follow her Emmy-winning year. But it's about time that Lahti, the female tour de force of ``Hope'' be recognized for her consistently outstanding work. Long shot: Jane Seymour (``Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman'').

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Andre Braugher, ``Homicide: Life on the Street'': Maybe there will finally be justice for this Baltimore police officer. Arguably the best actor on television for nearly five years, Braugher has been ignored by Emmy voters. This is their last chance to correct their mistake, as Braugher has left the series. It would not be a mistake to give this award to Dennis Franz (``NYPD Blue'') for the fourth time in five years, either. Long shot: David Duchovny (``The X-Files'').

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES

``The Larry Sanders Show'': You can take your ``Frasier'' and its record-tying four consecutive Emmy wins and give it a fifth. Go ahead - be boring and predictable. But, it would be better to try something new. ``Sanders'' has not just been the best comedy on television since it debuted, it has been the best program on television. All it has to show for all that good work is one Outstanding Supporting Actor win for Rip Torn. This show is so overdue for the win that, if it were a library book, the charges would equal the gross national product of a Third World country. Long shot: ``Seinfeld.''

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES

``The Practice'': We need one category that will have a surprise winner, don't we? And this is always an interesting category. Last year, ``Law & Order'' was a surprising yet deserving winner. Same goes for ``Picket Fences'' in 1993 and 1994. ``The Practice'' tackles extremely tough cases and issues, and does so with heart and intelligence. If not ``The Practice,'' look for ``The X-Files'' to take the prize in its season-leading-up-to-a-movie campaign. Long shot: ``Law & Order.''

CAPTION(S):

6 Photos

Photo: (1) ABC's ``The Practice'' could take home the Outstanding Drama

Series award.

(2) ``The Larry Sanders Show'' has never won a best-comedy Emmy, but now that its run is over, this may be its year.

(3) GRAMMER

(4) FLOCKHART

(5) LAHTI

(6) BRAUGHER