| The luster is back on New Year's Day's, with the semifinals of the inaugural College Football Playoff on tap. After the Outback (Wisconsin vs. Auburn), Cotton (Michigan State-Baylor) and Citrus (Minnesota-Missouri) set the stage, Florida State and Oregon take the field for the Rose Bowl (5 p.m. ET, ESPN), the first of the day's semifinals. Defending national champion and No. 3 seed Florida State is the lone unbeaten team in final four, yet the Seminoles are nearly double-digit underdogs against No. 2 Oregon. That's because Florida State has not been nearly as good as it was last year, going 3-11 against the spread in the past 14 games of a school-record 29-game winning streak. Plus, the Ducks have won their last eight games by an average margin of 26 points, covering the spread in all of them, as they attempt to make it to their second national title game in five years. Line: Oregon -8.5, Total: 72 Line movement: Betting on the Rose Bowl opened with Oregon as an 8.5-point favorite at The Wynn, and while the line has reached -9.5 at some shops, it ranges between -7.5 and -8.5 around Las Vegas the day before the game. The total opened 70.5 at the Westgate SuperBook and sits between 71 and 72.5 on Tuesday. The Linemakers' lean: Oregon has won and covered its past eight games since losing to Arizona, while Florida State limps into the playoffs, covering just one of its last five games. FSU's rating has dropped 10 points since the beginning of the season, which is unheard of from an undefeated team. But 8 or 9 points are too many to pass up with a team that has won 29 straight games. The Seminoles have been involved in tight games all season (7-0 in games decided by 6 points or less), and their ability to fight back and win no matter who they're playing will serve them well here – they are battle-tested. We think FSU has a great chance to win outright, but love taking the points. Matty Simo's complete Rose Bowl betting preview is right here at The Linemakers on Sporting News. Ohio State and Alabama get the spotlight next in the Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). Line: Alabama -9, Total: 58 Line movement: Alabama opened between 9.5 and 10-point favorites in Las Vegas, with the number dropping to between 8.5 and 9.5. The total has ranged between 57.5 and 59. The Linemakers' lean: Ohio State hasn't fared well against the SEC in bowls -- 0-9 since 1977 in official games (the 2011 win against Arkansas was stripped). Buckeye Nation has so much going against it, but this will be the team's first whack at the SEC with Urban Meyer as coach. We have Alabama rated as just a 3-point favorite in this one, so there's huge value taking +9 with Ohio State. 'Bama has failed to live up to expectations all season, covering only five of 13 games. We expect a competitive, high-scoring game. Ohio State has gone OVER the total in 11 of its 13 games, and the trend should continue. Take Ohio State +9 and OVER 58. Michael Robinson's full Sugar Bowl betting preview is right here. We'll take New Year's Day off from publishing this newsletter and will be back on Friday to help prepare you for wild-card weekend. Check the website frequently, though, as you handicap the rest of the bowl games. Happy New Year, and may all your wagers be winners! | 
