Punter Could Win Fortune After Betting £1,000 on Sunderland to Finish in Top 10

One punter placed an ambitious £1,000 bet on Sunderland to finish in the top ten in the Premier League – but they could be set to pocket a fortune.

When Sunderland bagged two late goals in the Championship play-off final against Sheffield United back in May, many supporters would have predicted Regis Le Bris’ side to struggle to deal with the quality of the Premier League.

However, the Blackcats have defied the odds so far this season with many of their 15 summer signings playing an important part in their success as the halfway point of the 2025/26 campaign approaches.

Captain Granit Xhaka has arguably been a standout with his Premier League experience - from his time at Arsenal - clearly helping an otherwise inexperienced side.

Following Sunday’s (December 28) 1-1 draw against Leeds United at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland sit seventh in the Premier League on 28 points and are well within reach of the European places.

With the Wearside club likely to retain their Premier League status given their current position, fans will be hoping they can push on and finish as high as possible.

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But one particular punter may be checking Sunderland’s results more regularly than most.

A betting slip posted on social media on Saturday (December 27) detailed how one punter placed a stake of £1,000 on a 25/1 bet for Sunderland to finish in the top ten at the start of the season with a potential return of £26,000.

Fans were quick to offer their thoughts on the ambitious bet in the comments section.

One said: “That's going to hurt if they fall away. I can see them sustaining mid-table, which would be a massive achievement. Brighton, Newcastle, and Spurs should be pushing up the table at some stage when their injuries get better.”

Another added: “Those odds are very generous. I would have thought this would be like a 10/1 even before the season.”

A third claimed: “Long way to go. They’re two points away from being outside of the top 10. A lot will depend on how they cope with their players being away for AFCON.

“Even being an NUFC fan, I’m quite surprised they were that big given they spent quite a bit.”

While a fourth commented: “That’s going to burn if they finish 11th on goal difference!!!”

Despite the mixed reaction, Sunderland’s current trajectory is positive. If the Northeast outfit win their 19th league game – against Manchester City on New Year’s Day – they would be on 31 points at the halfway point of the season.

If they earned the same amount of points from the second half of the campaign, this means they would finish on 62 points, which was enough to secure Brighton an eighth-placed finish in 2024/25.

Brentford finished tenth on 56 points last term. The season prior, Crystal Palace managed a top-half finish on just 49 points.

So, there’s hope for both the punter and Sunderland’s fanbase if previous years are anything to go by.