for the NFL, concentrate on determining who will win the game SU. The spread comes into play appx 16% of the time. That means use dog ML's, I usually throw at least 35% of my wager on the dog on the ML. A very useful stat for both the NFL and NCAA is rushing avg for/ rushing avg def. I generally like teams that rush for more and allow fewer rush yds than their opponent. Favorites seem to cover more often at the beginning of the NFL season, I usually start looking to fade the public around week 4. Play on NFL 2nd halves. There are numerous correlations on NFL 2nd halves over time, a handful which hit over 60%, take the time to chart these spreads, and your eye for value should spot profitable scenarios which are strong enough to even bet blindly on.
In the NCAA you will make money over time fading people who have "LOCKS" on their favorite school.