The Cincinnati Reds had a great May and are becoming a major player in MLB Betting Futures. The NL Central leaders went 17-11 last month, and have moved all the way up to seventh in Bovada’s 2012 World Series Odds, ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals.

The Reds started out around 30/1 to win the Series, but have established themselves as the team to beat in the Central and stand at 15/1. They are a 4/5 favorite to win the division on MLB Futures Odds available at Bovada Sportsbook.

“We haven’t got a ton of money on the Reds, but we are showing a little respect for what they’re doing,” Jay Kornegay, sportbook director for the LVH in Las Vegas, told Covers. “The Reds are playing great ball and some of that (line) movement has to do with some bets that have come in.”

Covers suggests that the meteoric rise Cincinnati is seeing is due in part to their chances at making the playoffs in general. The Central is far weaker than last year with the departures of Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder. And aside from the Los Angeles Dodgers no team in the National League has really established itself as a dominant force. With the big month of May, the Reds are seven games above .500 and have a clear path to the postseason.

“It does build confidence in athletes,” says Kornegay. “And these teams can even be undervalued because of their perceived weak competition. But you’re winning and that extra boost in confidence can carry you.”

The Reds are about to start a nine-game homestand against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians. They are a 1 1/2-run favorite on Tuesday night against Pittsburgh, according to Bovada’s Pirates vs. Reds Betting Odds.