ESPN Sunday Night Baseball: New York Yankees vs. New York Mets

R.A. Dickey has been the most talked about player in Major League Baseball during the month of June, posting a perfect 4-0 record and not allowing an earned run in 34.1 innings, which provides quite a storyline when facing the New York Yankees on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball.

The Mets are plus-100 home underdogs in the current MLB betting odds (provided by SBR Forum), while the total has dropped by a half run to settle at 6.5.

Dickey (11-1, 2.00 ERA) has led the Mets to nine consecutive victories when taking the mound, with the club outscoring opponents by a dominating 48-12 margin, serving up just one home run over that span—a significant statistic when facing a team that leads the majors with 110 round trippers on the season.

Sports bettors will also find that the Mets have won his last five starts as a home underdog, while the "under" has cashed in four of those five contests.

The New York Yankees have made the most of playing National League opponents in 2012, posting a 12-5 record heading into the series finale at Citi Field, while leading all MLB teams with a 169-112 all-time record in interleague play.

Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia (9-3, 3.55 ERA) has been a big part of that success, tallying a 10-2 record and 2.86 ERA in his last 14 starts against such opponents. The left-hander is 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA in four career starts versus the Mets, issuing just five walks and striking out 23 in 28 combined innings.

The Bronx Bombers are 36-15 in Sabathia's last 51 starts as a road favorite, with the "over" going 7-2-1 in his last 10 efforts away from Yankee Stadium.

In a game featuring starters that are capable of matching each other, the visitor holds a clear edge in the bullpen department, ranking third in the majors with a 2.70 ERA. The Mets are dead last in that category (5.30). 

Prediction: Yankees 5, Mets 2

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