This is the matchup everyone wanted to see.

Philadelphia. New York. Phillies. Yankees. Howard. A-Rod. Rollins. Jeter. Hamels/Lee. Sabathia/Burnett. Does it GET any better than this?

It's the defending world champions against the team that defined the term "world champion". It's the team with the most chemistry against the team with the most talent. This is the matchup that MLB dreamed of, and they got it after the Yankees defeated the Angels and the Phillies throttled the Dodgers.

So who is the favorite? The Yankees' offense looks unstoppable, and 3B Alex Rodriguez has (finally) looked like the player the Yankees thought they were getting when they added him to the roster years ago. The Phillies are the first NL team to return to the World Series to defend their title since the 1970s Cincinnati Reds and "The Big Red Machine", and have enjoyed the continued emergence of players like OFs Jason Werth and Shane Victorino.

This series is going to come down to pitching; the Yankees have struggled in their bullpen of late, but no one has been more dominant than C.C. Sabathia the last two years. Add him to A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte, and that is a formidable trio. I just don't think that Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Pedro Martinez are better than those three, which is why I think the Yankees will win.

Prediction: Yankees in 6.