The NFL season is over. Which means it’s the perfect time to bet on the NFL.

Smart shoppers buy clothes out of season and gas when the price is down, not when the tank is nearly empty. The same quest for value applies to the futures markets for football and baseball. This is when bettors have the least information about what might happen during the 2008 campaign. It’s not easy handicapping a team when everyone’s on the golf course, but those soft lines can make the risk of working with unknowns worth taking.

The early bird usually gets the pointspread, too. The open is when a betting line is at its most vulnerable; the spread is a stab (albeit an educated one) at guessing which number will prompt the betting public to balance the action. If you see an opening line that you suspect will move in a specific direction, bet the appropriate side early and enjoy the ride.

It’s time to get serious about college football. It’s bowl season, and there’s tons of money to be made as the betting public hops on the bandwagon. Here’s this year’s schedule.

Poinsettia: Utah vs. Navy, Dec. 20
New Orleans: Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic, Dec. 21
Papajohns.com: Southern Miss vs. Cincinnati, Dec. 22
New Mexico: Nevada vs. New Mexico, Dec. 22
Las Vegas: UCLA vs. BYU, Dec. 22
Hawaii: Boise State vs. East Carolina, Dec. 23
Motor City: Purdue vs. Central Michigan, Dec. 26
Holiday: Arizona State vs. Texas Dec. 27
Champs Sports:Boston College vs. Michigan State, Dec. 28
Texas: TCU vs. Houston, Dec. 28
Emerald: Maryland vs. Oregon State, Dec. 28
Meineke Car Care: UConn vs. Wake Forest, Dec. 29
Liberty: UCF vs. Mississippi State, Dec. 29
Alamo: Penn State vs. Texas A&M, Dec. 29
Independence: Alabama vs. Colorado, Dec. 30
Armed Forces: California vs. Air Force, Dec. 31
Humanitarian: Georgia Tech vs. Fresno State, Dec. 31
Sun: South Florida vs. Oregon, Dec. 31
Music City: Kentucky vs. Florida State, Dec. 31
Insight: Indiana vs. Oklahoma State, Dec. 31
Chick-fil-A: Clemson vs. Auburn, Dec. 31
Outback: Wisconsin vs. Tennessee, Jan. 1
Cotton: Missouri vs. Arkansas, Jan. 1
Gator: Texas Tech vs. Virginia, Jan. 1
Capital One: Michigan vs. Florida, Jan. 1
Rose Bowl: Illinois vs. USC, Jan. 1
Sugar: Hawaii vs. Georgia, Jan. 1
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. West Virginia, Jan. 2
Orange: Virginia Tech vs. Kansas, Jan. 3
International: Rutgers vs. Ball State, Jan. 5
GMAC: Bowling Green vs. Tulsa, Jan. 6
BCS Championship Game: LSU vs. Ohio State, Jan. 7

Recently a 73-year-old great grandmother who tends bar at an Elks lodge in California is now looking at spending one year in prison for being the organizer of a $50 football pool. Cops, acting on an anonymous tip, discovered an envelope containing 10 five-dollar bills placed behind her bar, which oddly enough constitutes a gambling operation. You think this should be no big deal and the law enforcement typically ignores low stakes betting between friends, but now it seems that even this may be at risk. Good luck grandma!