Who will claim the final Championship play-off spots?

The football schedule frequently transitions between the March international break and a certain degree of madness.

And there are few more chaotically compelling situations than what tends to transpire in the Championship play-off race.

With a 12-point lead over West Bromwich Albion and Bristol City (Opta give the Black Cats less than a 0.1% chance of falling to seventh), one spot in the final four is guaranteed to be filled by Leeds, Sheffield United, or Burnley.

But the other two positions? There are, presumably, nine teams that could take those, so.

Bristol City have the toughest run-in of the nine teams in play-off contention with trips to Burnley and Leeds United to come.

Top goalscorer: Haji Wright (10)

Jack Rudoni (10%) had the most assists.

Clive Eakin, BBC Radio CWR

Why they will compete in the playoffs?

When Frank Lampard took over in November he didn’t rule out a play-off push but admitted the first aim was to steer clear of relegation.

Coventry has momentum, and their ten victories from their previous 12 matches have now propelled them firmly into the top six.

Without making radical changes, Lampard seems to have instilled belief among players and fans alike.

He has benefited from the return of key players following injury layoffs, particularly Haji Wright, who scored a hat-trick against Sunderland just before the break. The signing of midfield player Matt Grimes has also been key.

Why won’t they?

The 2-0 defeat at Derby was a sobering one and left some fans wondering if the team could maintain a play-off challenge and yet they followed that setback with arguably their best performance of the season so far against Sunderland.

They are generally unaffected by a number of injury issues, but if one or more key players become injured, Lampard’s modestly-sized squad may be put under strain.

Form: DDWDWD

Josh Maja (12) is the top goalscorer.

Most assists: Tom Fellows (11)

BBC Radio WM’s Steve Hermon

Why they will compete in the playoffs?

The Baggies perform much better against the top teams – they’re unbeaten against all five sides above them – and they still have Sunderland, Coventry, Bristol City and Norwich to play. These rivals’ claims will only grow as a result.

Tony Mowbray, who reached a play-off final in his first spell, also hopes to have top scorer Josh Maja back for the end of season run. The division’s best strike force would likely be Adam Armstrong and Maja, who won the Wembley match last season. It’s theirs to lose.

Why won’t they?

There are more instances when you can look back and see Albion’s draws as two points dropped than any other team in English football, and those 18 stalemates include holding the runaway top three to draws both home and away.

Form: WDDWWD

Top goalscorer: Anis Mehmeti (12)

Max Bird has the most assists (7%).

Ed Hadwin, BBC Radio Bristol

Why they will compete in the playoffs??

Other than Coventry, Bristol City go into the final eight matches with the best form of any of the teams chasing a play-off place.

After defeating Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, and Norwich during that stretch, they are unbeaten in their previous seven games.

Under Liam Manning, they have become a team very much more than the sum of their parts, with big contributions from throughout the squad.

Why won’t they?

With home games against West Brom and Sunderland in the future, no one in the chasing pack has a run-in as difficult as City does.

It does, however, give them the opportunity to take points off at least one of their rivals, with the West Brom match in particular looking key.

Form: DWLWWL

Top goalscorer: Tommy Conway (11)

Finn Azaz has 11 assists.

Paul Addison, BBC Radio Tees

Why they will compete in the playoffs?

Michael Carrick may have survived the abyss, which many believed would have cost him his job.

There should hopefully be some good news on the way in terms of fit and available central defenders (Boro have had none for their previous two matches) following the international break.

There is every chance of a play-off spot if Delano Burgzorg, Tommy Conway, and Finn Azaz can pull it off.

Why won’t they?

It’s all about one word – consistency.

Boro have struggled to come up with any kind of winning streak throughout the season, but their best performance came in November when they won four of their five games and scored 18 goals in the process.

The loss of Emmanuel Latte Lath in January has been a massive blow – not just the goals he brought to the side, but his all-round work ethic has also been badly missed.

Top goalscorer: Andreas Weimann (7)

Makhtar Gueye has six assists.

Andy Bayes, BBC Radio Lancashire

Why they will compete in the playoffs?

Rovers might feel confident in their final eight games if they come away from a lossless start.

Until the draw with Norwich four games ago, they had only spent a few days outside of the top six since November. It’s now up to the players to demonstrate that they can follow the instructions of new boss Valerien Ismael after their unexpected managerial change.

The relative freedom of being five points away with a vastly inferior goal difference could remove the tension to some degree. The final four home games pit oppose teams that are also in a similar position. The results of those will go a long way to determining their fate.

Experience and athleticism will be added with the return of renowned defenders Danny Batth, Owen Beck, and Harry Pickering.

Why won’t they?

Four wins in 18 following a six-game winning run before Christmas would suggest that Rovers go into the final eight games as outsiders.

The anticipation of an “bounce” under Ismael has not materialized.

Top goalscorer: Vakoun Bayo (10)

Giorgi Chakvetadze has six assists.

Geoff Doyle, BBC 3CR

Why they will compete in the playoffs?

After the international break, Watford should have some key players recovering from injury. Forward Kwadwo Baah is the most significant. He was actually hitting top form down the right before causing major issues for the opposition before causing his thigh damage.

Midfielder Pierre Dwomoh, defender Kevin Keben and goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann should also be returning soon to boost the squad depth.

The Hornets also have the opportunity to defeat some of those teams that have struggled this season, such as Plymouth, Hull, and Portsmouth, with points.

Why won’t they?

They have left just a bit too much to do. Consistent play has been a problem all season, and they can’t afford to lose so many games to reach the top six.

The Hornets needed to recruit in January to give themselves a fighting chance and although centre-back James Abankwah and goalkeeper Egil Selvik have been excellent additions they didn’t bring in a striker which was, and still is, needed.

Form: WLWLLW

Top goalscorer: 6 against Mihailo Ivanovic.

Most assists: Femi Azeez (5)

BBC Radio London’s Nick Godwin

Why they will compete in the playoffs?

Millwall’s chances really depend on whether or not Alex Neil can make his team adventurous enough to score goals consistently enough.

In the first few months of the season, Mihailo Ivanovic found the Championship’s physicality challenging, but he now appears to be improving consistently.

There were loads of changes in January but it’s possible the manager could find the right formula to put a run of results together, as he has done before, which could allow them to slip in. No one wants to enter The Den’s play-off semi-final.

Why won’t they?

It’s been a season of huge change. Romain Esse emerged as a gifted talent after Neil Harris left and Neil joined, who was soon sold to Crystal Palace. That, in turn, released extra funds in January and more signings were made.

Therefore, it would be incredibly difficult for this recently-changed team to maintain consistency and contend for the play-off spots.

Top goalscorer: Josh Windass (11)

Anthony Musaba, Josh Windass, and Shea Charles have the most assists.

Rob Staton, BBC Radio Sheffield

Why they will compete in the playoffs?

With an improbable late run to keep Wednesday in the Championship, Danny Rohl made the famous escape a year ago. They can use that experience to launch another run to close the season.

The impressive German and his players will feel confident in their ability to succeed if they can recover from the international break and start strong. Owls fans have enjoyed dramatic ends to the season in the last two years. It is possible.

Why won’t they?

The home form. Third-most victories in the Championship come on Wednesday after nine games away from home. At Hillsborough it’s a different story – they’re 23rd in the table.

Despite having numerous chances to win, they have somehow been unable to turn these performances into victories. Without an improvement here to finish the season, they won’t push for the top six.

Top goalscorer: Borja Sainz (17)

Callum Doyle (7) has the most assists.

Chris Goreham, BBC Radio Norfolk

Why they will compete in the playoffs?

Only Leeds has scored more goals than the Canaries have in the league this year. It’s at least three more than every other Championship team. With 18 goals, Borja Sainz, one of only three players in the division, has overtaken Josh Sargent.

They have also managed to take the lead against every single team in the division other than QPR, Preston, Bristol City and Portsmouth. At home, they must still play Pompey.

Why won’t they?

The last point is pertinent. This season, Norwich have dropped 30 points from winning positions. They have won only one of their past eight league games which is hardly top-six form.