Predicting the Teams to Make the Championship Play-Off Places

The Championship play-offs, the world's richest game - with a chance to enter the promised land of

Premier League wealth. To say there is plenty at stake is an understatement: it's the be-all and end-all,

and can really break the team that falls short for the following season.

While 2020 has been very different to most years there is no change to the play-off format - unlike the

leagues below in which places were decided on a points per game ratio.

Currently, Leeds and West Brom occupy the top two automatic spots and with their sheer calibre it's
hard to see either side dropping out with Brentford the closest team to them being only five points the Albion

with only six games remaining. 

Currently making up the quartet in the play-offs, in addition to the Bees, is Fulham, Nottingham Forest,

and Cardiff - by a point. While Derby, Preston, Swansea, Blackburn, Millwall and Bristol City breath down

their necks just outside the converted top-six by a matter of four-six points respectively.

Here's how the table looks with one more game to come tonight! #EFL | #SkyBetChampionship pic.twitter.com/uxVwYgxn27

— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) July 2, 2020

Unfortunately, there won’t be any outlandish predictions because looking ahead the turn of futures suits

the current top six. 

Brentford and Fulham are just too good to drop out of the play-offs, the sheer quality in their sides should

be more than enough to see them over the line and Nottingham Forest are not too fair off either in terms

of squad quality and more so depth.

Neil Harris’s Cardiff are coming into a decent run of form which has been the story since the former

Millwall boss took to the helm in South Wales. 

Derby is another team coming into some good form with four wins on the bounce. However, looking

ahead the Rams have a mammoth task having to play six teams currently above them in the division

so play-offs look. 

A task too big, especially with star player Tom Lawrence suspended after receiving a red-card after

clashing with Reading’s Matt Miazga following their victory over the Royals - meaning the Rams will have

to look elsewhere beyond scoring outside the box finesses with Lawrence, although they’ll probably

just switch to try to do similar with Rooney.

Preston is the other real contender but their form is beyond abysmal for a play-off chasing side which

is a similar story for the teams just outside the top-six. Bristol City are in diabolical form with only Hull

conceded more than them in recent games. Fixtures favour neither side with PNE having to face three

of the play-off competitors and Bristol City four in their remaining matches.

Tony Mowbray’s Blackburn look like they’re beginning to falter having lost games against both
relegation battlers Barnsley and Wigan since the restart. While Swansea have dropped points to
Millwall and Luton.

The side at the New Den are a force to be reckoned with, especially at home, but looking at their side

they just don’t appear to have the quality needed to clinch a top-six place - although fixtures certainly

play in their favour having to play only one team in the top half, in Blackburn, so on that alone could

be a worthy outsider punt.

Without coming across with the punditry skills of Michael Owen it leaves this Championship prediction sticking with the current standings with perhaps Milwall piping Cardiff to the last place as the only difference.

Next week we’ll assess which one of those teams might clinch the play-offs with plenty of attacking

quality to choose from, don't forget to follow us on Twitter @TalktheF