Best bets to win the World Series

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On Sunday, we broke down the best long shots to win the World Series in this shortened season. Now, we'll analyze the best bets overall. There's some small overlap between the two - it's smarter than ever to fade favorites this year - but a few teams with mid-range odds are simply too good to pass up.

Here are the updated World Series odds with our best bets to win it all:

Minnesota Twins (+1500)

None of the top contenders have a better price this year than the Twins, who are perfectly built to take advantage of one of the easiest schedules in baseball. Minnesota drops former MVP Josh Donaldson into the middle of a lineup that broke MLB's home run record in 2019 and should be among the leaders in runs scored in 2020, especially thanks to a navigable slate of opposing pitching in the AL and NL Central.

The Twins' rotation, which already featured All-Stars Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi, added former Dodgers arms Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda, who both profile as efficiency stars in a shortened slate. Combine that top-10 rotation with a steady bullpen, a top-three lineup, and a cupcake schedule, and it's hard not to bet on Minnesota to win it all.

Tampa Bay Rays (+1800)

No pitching staff will benefit more from the shortened season than Tampa Bay's. Tyler Glasnow was arguably the best pitcher in the league on a per-inning basis last year, Blake Snell was the league's best pitcher in his 2018 Cy Young season and started hot in 2019, and Charlie Morton is entering his age-36 season after a third-place Cy Young finish.

The Rays' bats aren't as exciting as their arms, but Austin Meadows - if healthy - is still a dark-horse MVP candidate atop one of the majors' deepest lineups. There's also the outside chance that super prospect Wander Franco is promoted late in the year, which is the cherry on top of an already tasty 18-1 price.

Oakland Athletics (+2500)

The Athletics tease some of the best pitching upside in the majors in a shortened season. Frankie Montas was a top-10 pitcher on a per-start basis last year before his 80-game suspension, while Sean Manaea spun an incredible 1.21 ERA with a 0.775 WHIP through five starts in an injury-shortened campaign.

Oakland's rotation could elevate to among the league's best if top prospects Jesus Luzardo and A.J. Puk live up to expectations. That would be a fitting complement to a lineup with three MVP-level bats and the best defense in baseball. The A's start the season against the Angels, Rockies, Mariners, and Rangers, so buy now before this price tightens.

Arizona Diamondbacks (+4000)

The Diamondbacks don't have the clear front-line ace or a trio of star bats like the teams ahead of them on this list. But at 40-1, there's no better value in the field. Arizona was aggressive this offseason, adding complementary pieces to a roster that surprised with 85 wins in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year.

Instead, former top prospect Ketel Marte (.329/.389/.592) broke out as an MVP candidate at the plate, while rookie Zac Gallen (2.81 ERA, 10.9 K/9) flashed future ace potential in 15 games. Adding Madison Bumgarner, Starling Marte, and Kole Calhoun will help steady the floor this year for a young team with legitimate title upside, especially in a shortened season.

(Odds source: theScore Bet)

C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.