The Championship enters its final furlong this Friday and seven teams look set to fight it out for the ultimate prize of Premiership football.

Cardiff are in pole position at the top while Hull, Watford and Crystal Palace lead the chase for the second automatic promotion spot with eight games to go.

Nottingham Forest's five straight wins has dragged them into the mix as well while Brighton and Leicester look set to fight it out for a play-off spot.

Of the seven, Palace have, on paper, the easiest run-in with only two games against top half teams - Birmingham on Friday and Leicester on April 20, with Leicester their only other match against one of their promotion rivals.

That could be vital as Cardiff, Hull and Watford all still have each other to play.

Cardiff, nine points clear of third place, would need a monumental slump not to make the top two but have five top-half teams in their final nine games and also play Forest as well as Watford and Hull.

Watford also have five top-half teams and three top-seven sides left to face - including a crucial five days next week when they face Hull and Cardiff.

Hull face three sides in the top half including Cardiff and Watford, while Leicester, who have not won for five games, have the worst run in of the seven with six top-half sides to play and four of the top seven.

Brighton have the second easiest run-in with only games against Forest and Leicester among their promotion rivals to come while Forest face a difficult test with five top-half teams still to play.

Here are the crucial games to look out for between now and the end of the season on May 4:

March 30
Forest v Brighton

April 2
Hull v Watford

April 6
Watford v Cardiff
Brighton v Leicester

April 13
Cardiff v Forest

April 20
Palace v Leicester

April 26
Leicester v Watford

May 4
Hull v Cardiff
Forest v Leicester