3 long shots worth betting to win the World Series

The MLB season finally kicks off this week after nearly two years since the last "normal" campaign. This year will still likely be a bit wacky, with pitchers readjusting to full workloads and hitters working through a season of slumps and streaks instead of two months.

Last year's shortened campaign also means that teams could swing wildly from the small sample size we saw in 2020, which could turn into value further down the oddsboard. Here are the current title odds along with three of our favorite long shot plays ahead of Thursday's season opener:

Cleveland Indians (+3500)

A year ago, the Indians' offense stunk, tying for sixth in fewest runs scored (248) and posting the fourth-worst OPS (.689) in the majors. Yet Cleveland still won 58.3% of its games and secured its fourth postseason appearance in the past five years before being bounced in the wild-card round.

Expect some improvement in that department. The Indians' approach was solid in 2020 - they ranked fifth in walk rate (10.6%) with an above-average strikeout rate (23%) - but one of the league's lowest BABIPs (.277) tanked their overall output. So did an unusually high soft-contact rate for a lineup that's still anchored by perennial MVP candidate Jose Ramirez and bona fide slugger Franmil Reyes.

And then there's the Indians' pitching staff, which might still be the best in the American League even without Mike Clevinger or Carlos Carrasco. Shane Bieber was the most unhittable pitcher on the planet in 2020, and the rest of the rotation is full of potential young studs. This is a team worth buying for those arms alone; better results offensively is the icing on top.

Washington Nationals (+4500)

Speaking of elite pitching, the last time a long shot won the World Series they did so on the back of three ace-level arms and timely hitting from key players. That team, of course, was the Nationals, who still have the core pieces to make another run.

Max Scherzer posted an ERA below 3.00 for five straight years before an injury-marred 2020 and had finished top-five in Cy Young voting for seven consecutive seasons. We all know what Stephen Strasburg's ceiling is when healthy, while Patrick Corbin is hoping a developed changeup could help him return to his 2019 form.

If those three can rediscover even some of their prior magic, they'll be flanked by an offense that ranked fourth in batting average (.264) in 2020 and is anchored by possibly the best pure hitter alive in Juan Soto. There's risk here, sure, but we've already seen the upside with this group when everything clicks.

Milwaukee Brewers (+5000)

What am I missing with the Brewers, who have made the postseason for three straight years and have the talent to emerge from a winnable NL Central?

Christian Yelich had a downright awful 2020, but he can hit the ball as hard as anyone when his timing is right. So can Keston Hiura and Travis Shaw, who are both looking for the results to match their power potential. If the heart of Milwaukee's order can get right, we're talking about top-10 upside from this group as a whole.

That would be plenty enough to support a rotation anchored by rising star Corbin Burnes and the best bullpen in the National League. Things could go awry if the bats don't pop, but at 50-1, there's too much potential to ignore.

(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.