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.