Navy Midshipmen Odds
Navy Midshipmen Odds Two teams with very different styles meet for the first time in almost 50 years in the Texas Bowl on Thursday at Houston's Reliant Stadium. An impressive passing attack has helped the Missouri Tigers to their fifth consecutive bowl game, while the nation's fourth-best rushing offense has guided the Navy Midshipmen to its most wins in three years.

It has been 49 years since Missouri beat Navy in the 1961 Orange Bowl. This year Navy would love to get their tenth win, but it won't be easy against a very good Missouri team looking for their ninth victory of 2009.

NCAA odds makers are calling 8-4 Missouri about a touchdown favorite in this one against 9-4 Navy. The line in Vegas is sitting at, the Tigers -6.5 with the total in the game set at 51.

Missouri got off to a great start in 2009, going 4-0. However, three straight losses to ranked opponents really
put a damper on their season. But Missouri battled back to win four of their last five, including three straight to head into their bowl game against the Midshipmen.

The Tigers will really be in for a test against 9-4 Navy. The Midshipmen average about 275 yards on the ground per game via an option offense led by talented junior quarterback Rick Dobbs.

"It's going to be fun for us on the defense, but at the same time it will be a challenge," Missouri linebacker Jaron Baston said. "It's going to be a very tough Navy team. The option can kill a defense if they run it the right way."

Dobbs rushed for 1,037 yards and set an NCAA single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 24.

This one has the makings of being a very good football game. Look for Navy's strong running game to control the tempo and help the Midshipmen get to double-digit wins.

Take Navy getting the points.