Last Saturday could prove to be a pivotal weekend for both of the se teams, if for very different reasons.

Watford's slim play-off hopes were all-but ended by their narrow 2-1 reverse at sixth-placed Bristol City, while Charlie Hughes's injury-time header at Sheffield Wednesday gave Hull City a vital three points as they look to climb away from trouble.

The Hornets are now seven points adrift of the top six and will realistically need to win their remaining six matches and hope for favours to have any chance of extending their season.

The Tigers start the night three points clear of the relegation zone but have been far better on their travels than at home this campaign.

Victory tonight would be their eighth away success of the season, while they have won a league-low four at home.

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A midtable end-of-season clash between two unhappy camps.

Blackburn fans asked senior members of the club's hierarchy to stay away from the final few matches after seeing their play-off bid fizzle out after a dismal second half of the season, and, while Sheffield Wednesday players and staff received their delayed March wages on Monday, owner Dejphon Chansiri is not a popular man.

On the pitch, Rovers are winless in six and Wednesday in three.

Twelfth-placed Blackburn have made two changes from the 2-0 defeat by Middlesbrough, while the Owls, one place below them on goal difference, have made four alterations from the 1-0 home defeat by Hull City.

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It's not unreasonable to suggest tonight's fixture could end up being the biggest of the regular season for both Bristol City and West Bromwich Albion.

Having sat in the top six for the vast majority of the season, Albion head to a sold out Ashton Gate on the outside looking in.

Liam Manning's Robins, having been outside the play-off places for most of the campaign, hope they are timing their run perfectly, now sat sixth, three points ahead of the Baggies with six games to come.

With due respect to Millwall and Watford, it's increasingly looking like a four-way fight for two places in the play-offs and City could land a huge blow to West Brom's chances with a fifth win in six home games tonight.

An away win would however see Tony Mowbray's men go back above their hosts on goal difference, though the form book suggests it's unlikely as Albion are winless in four, have lost their past two without scoring and haven't won on the road since November, a run of 12 matches.

They are a bit of a bogey team for the Robins, however, City have only won one of their last nine league encounters, taking five points in all.

Popcorn at the ready, this should be box office...

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Carrow Road will host two sides tonight with the same ultimate goal, but at vastly different points on the journey.

Sunderland led the division until late November and, although they stumbled out of the automatic promotion race, back-to-back wins in their past two have kept alive faint hopes of closing an eight-point gap to the top-two in the final six games.

While fourth-placed Sunderland could cement a play-off place which has long looked an inevitability tonight, Norwich sit 11th and need a win to keep their own slender hopes of gate-crashing the top six alive.

Five points from their past six games has left the Canaries eight points adrift, though they did pinch a win over West Brom last time out at Carrow Road to stay in the hunt.

With 72 goals in Norwich's 20 home games this season, 45 for and 27 against, you might expect this to be a goalfest, though the Black Cats have only scored two in their past three games and have kept back-to-back clean sheets.

After a 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light in December, Regis Le Bris' side are seeking to complete the league double over the Canaries for the first time in 40 years, but Sunderland are still looking up and it's points, more than history, which are most important tonight.

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The evenings are light, chocolate eggs have become a daily staple and there are just 25 days of the regular season remaining...

You'll see the words clinched, cemented and escaped plenty in the EFL over the next few weeks, and it could even start tonight...

Read tonight's EFL preview here.

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A month is a long time in a football season.

Less than four weeks ago this would have been eighth v first. Tonight? It's fifth v third.

Middlesbrough have found form at just the right time and a fourth win in five matches would help to strengthen their place in the play-offs.

Leeds on the other hand aren't quite sure where they misplaced form but would certainly like to rediscover it as quickly as possible.

One win in six has seen them slide down to third and fans are starting to feel a dreaded sense of deja vu after they came third last season.

Their recent league record against Boro is excellent though and boss Daniel Farke's personal one against the Teessiders is even better, he's won eight of the nine Championship matches he's managed against them.

Image source, Rex Features

Sheffield United will seek to get back to business as they welcome Millwall to Bramall Lane.

The off-colour Blades suffered a surprise defeat at lowly Oxford United on Saturday to slip a point behind Burnley, though remain in the automatic promotion spots, a point ahead of Leeds.

Chris Wilder's men won't be able to take the Lions lightly tonight, however, the visitors jumped to ninth, six points shy of the play-off places courtesy of their late win over Portsmouth at The Den at the weekend.

The omens are mixed for Alex Neil's side who have a dismal record in Yorkshire, taking just six points from their past 14 visits, losing 10 of those.

They do have a decent record away against Wilder, however, picking up 1-1 draws at Bramall Lane in 2018 and 2019 and another at the Riverside when Wilder was at the helm of Middlesbrough in 2021.

A repeat of that scoreline would be unlikely to help either side's ambitions tonight, so don't take your eyes off this one for a moment.

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Six wins from their remaining six matches and Burnley will be crowned Championship winners on 3 May.

That, of course, is easier said than done and Scott Parker's men begin their run down the home straight with a tricky looking contest at Derby County, who are themselves fighting for the points in order to cling on to their second-tier status following last season's promotion from League One.

Following a slow start to his stint in charge after arriving from Blackburn, Rams head coach John Eustace has overseen an upturn in form of late - with Derby picking up maximum points from their last three home league matches - their best such run in the Championship since February 2021.

Burnley's current form speaks for itself. The Clarets are unbeaten in their last 27 league outings, conceding only six goals during that run and just 12 in total all season.

James Trafford's 28 Championship clean sheets this season means he has already smashed the record for shutouts by any second-tier goalkeeper and he is just another two away from equaling Port Vale's 30 clean sheets back in 1953-54, a Football League record for a domestic campaign.

More recent history should give Clarets fans confidence of their side picking up three points tonight as well, with Burnley unbeaten against Derby in their last 13 meetings in a run going back to January 2007 - when Billy Davies' Rams, who went on to be promoted by the play-offs four months later, beat a Burnley side managed by Steve Cotterill 1-0 thanks to a Steve Howard penalty.

Image source, Opta

If you weren't familiar then this is how the league is looking as we head into the final six league games of the season.

Burnley start the day on top of the table but could end as low as third by the close of play.

Middlesbrough and Bristol City can strengthen their play-off pushes tonight, with Coventry not in action until tomorrow.

Down at the bottom, Luton are one of the division's form teams and could end a day outside of the relegation zone for the first time since 17 January if they win at Stoke and the Clarets win at Derby.

Image source, Rex Features

• Blackburn Rovers v Sheffield Wednesday
• Bristol City v West Bromwich Albion
• Derby County v Burnley
• Norwich City v Sunderland
• Preston North End v Cardiff City
• Sheffield United v Millwall
• Stoke City v Luton Town
• Watford v Hull City
• Middlesbrough v Leeds United (20:00 BST)

Image source, Rex Features

We're firmly in the business end of the Championship season now with all 24 teams about to play their 41st league game of the campaign.

There's two points between the teams in first and third at the top and six between 17th and 23rd at the bottom.

Nine games for you tonight, featuring all the teams currently in the top six.

Let's get into it.