Sunderland are rated as 8/1 shots for promotion by the bookies after a solid start to the Championship campaign. With a third of the season gone, the Black Cats sit sixth in the table - seven places and six points ahead of their situation at this stage last term, when they went on to reach the play-offs.
Bookies on odds comparison site Oddschecker are offering an average of 8/1 on Tony Mowbray's men winning promotion to the Premier League, which implies an 11 percent chance of success. Sunderland are ranked as seventh-favourites to win promotion, and it is no surprise that league leaders Leicester City are way out in front in the betting market.
Enzo Maresca's Foxes are 1/8 to be promoted, which equates to an 89 percent chance. Kieran McKenna's Ipswich Town are second in the table, level on points with Leicester, and they are ranked as joint-second favourites in the promotion race at odds of 8/13, giving them a 62 percent implied chance.
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Daniel Farke's Leeds United sit third in the table, eight points behind Ipswich, but are given the same odds and same percentage chance as the Tractor Boys. Fourth-placed Southampton, under Russell Martin, are fourth-favourites according to the bookies at 2/1, which gives them a 33 percent chance.
Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough currently sit tenth in the league table but are considered fifth favourites for promotion at 11/2, giving them a 15 percent chance. Seventh placed West Brom, under Carlos Corberan, are next in line at 7/1, which equates to a 12 percent chance, with Sunderland next in line.
Championship promotion odds after 16 games
Leicester City 1/8 (88.9 percent implied chance)
Ipswich Town 8/13 (61.9 percent)
Leeds United (8/13 (61.9 percent)
Southampton 2/1 (33.3 percent)
Middlesbrough 11/2 (15.4 percent)
West Bromwich Albion 7/1 (12.5 percent)
Sunderland 8/1 (11.1 percent)
Hull City 16/1 (5.9 percent)
Preston North End 20/1 (4.8 percent)
Watford 20/1 (4.8 percent)